A new start for the two of us
by GrangerMalfoyNess
Summary: Ron leaves Hermione for Lavender, and Hermione and her daughter is on the look for a new place to start. She bumps into an old schoolmate, and a strange friendship starts to grow amongst them. WARNING: CHARACTER-DEATH! Finished.
1. The beggining

My name is Hermione Jean Granger. I'm 21 years old by now, finished at Hogwarts School two years ago, i'm the brighest witch of my age, best friends with Harry Potter, his wife, Ginny Potter nee Weasley and my fiance is Ronald Billius Weasley. I've lost so many...

Hermione sighed deeply and looked at the parchment in front of her; it seemed impossible to write a story like this - she didn't know how to write down her life on paper. She groaned and put her head in her hands, her albows resting on the edge of the wooden table in her library. Her now long and wavy auburn hair fell down in waves, ringlets touching the cool surface of the table. She sat up straight, pushing her hair back behind her ears.  
>"ROOOON." She yelled for him, and heard shuffling outside the door. It opened without a sound, and red hair came into her vision.<br>"What? Hermione, i'm working." He looked irritated. She stared at him, seeing his eyes shift uncomfortably away from her face.  
>"Would you pick up Rose today? I'm trying to get this... Stupid story together, but.. Anyway, would you?"<br>He nodded courtly at her and slammed the door in his wake.  
>"Always with the temper..." She murmured to herself, and submerging in her story again.<p>

an hour later, the sound of laughter reached her ears, and she perked up - listening intently at her daughter's footsteps.  
>"MUM!" a shout came to her, and two second later a little girl emerged from the door, sprinting towards her and gave her a bonecrushing hug.<br>"Hi, darling. Had fun?" She smiled brightly at the little girl.  
>"Mum, i had fun! i tried the.. uhm... sings?" she furrowed her brows in confusion.<br>"Swings?" The daughter smiled at her and nodded.  
>"That sounds like fun, Rose. Had anything to eat?" Hermione rose from her chair, resting the girl on her hip. Rose shook her head, and Hermione smiled.<br>"let's go get something then - and then you have to take a nap, okay?" Rose nodded and jumped down the moment they reached the small kitchen. Hermione sat her daughter down in her chair, streching to get to the top shelf were the baby-food was hidden.

"All done?" hermione asked. Rose yawned and murmured what sounded like a yes.  
>"Let's get you a nap, huh?" She smiled as her daughter fell into her arms, instantly falling asleep. Hermione walked quietly to her daughters bedroom; all kept in soft, soothing colours, a crib standing in front of the big window and put her down - tugging her in under the blanket. Kissing Rose's forehead she felt yet again overwhelmed by love.<p>

"Hermione? I need to talk to you." Ron's voice reached her, and she walked to the livingroom, where Ron sat in a big, red, plushy chair, staring into the fire roaring.  
>"What's going on love?" She kissed his cheek, and sat down int he chair in front of him.<br>"Hermione, i can't keep pretending. Listen, I... I've done something i regret, but i am kind of relieved i did it." She waited for him to continue, a lump in her throat.  
>"Listen, i bumped into Lavender two months ago; we rekindled, to say. and i can't do this, so i'm done here." He looked at her.<br>Hermione merely smiled and waved her hand as for him to continue.  
>"I'm not moving, but i won't stop you if you chose to do so - and if you take Rose with you, i'm begging you to let me see her once in a while. I know this is horrible, but you've always been so.."<br>Hermione raised her eyebrows, and she finally spoke.  
>"Ronald, do not even think about finishing that sentence. Trust me when i say i'm trying my best to behave, but if you say ANYTHING, don't think i won't hex you into oblivion." She simply stated, a single tear falling from her eyes.<br>"I'm leaving now. I'm taking Rose with me." She stood up. "I hope you'll be happy." She finally said, and abruptly left the room, hiding her tears from him.

She walked aimlessly around town for a while; the muggletown they had chosen had semed so perfect to start a new life, but now it sufficed as her prison. she walked with her two-year-old daughter in her stroller, all of her belongings shrunk down to fit into her pocket. She cried.

She reached an inn just outside of town, somewhere she hadn't noticed before; she took a deep breath and pushed the stroller inside.  
>"Hello, can i help you, ma'am?" A young guy came to her, no doubt alarmed by her tears.<br>"Yes, i need..." She didn't know how to finish, she didn't know what she wanted anymore. She wanted Ron, she wanted... What?  
>"Yes?" The young man looked intently at her, and then to the stroller.<br>"Uhm, a town not far from here.. Bubbington, i think?" She looked at him.  
>"Sure, i have a map right here, ma'am." He quickly moved to the back of the bar, searching through what looked like an endless pile of paper. She sighed at sat down on a chair nearby.<p>

"Granger?" A voice, soft as velvet, reached her and she turned to it. A man with silver-like hair, unkept and a beard starting to emerge on his chin looked as her as he had seen a ghost. His silver eyes looked with her brown, and she gasped.

"Malfoy?"


	2. The cottage

_"Malfoy?"_

Hermione stared long at her former enemy; granted, it was a school feud, but it did not make her loathe him less as he smirked and rose from his chair.  
>"What are you doing here, Granger?" He asked, his head tilting to look closer at the child in the stroller.<br>"What's it to you?" She sneered. His gaze shifted, and she drew back - his silver eyes looked like the sea after a storm, and she shifted uncomfortable on her feet. He towered over her, a head higher than her. He fell back again, his eyes once again a steely grey, and he sighed deeply.  
>"It's not anything to me. I was merely trying to be polite towards you." He stood still and looked away from her. She followed his eyes, tracing the pub with her eyes.<br>"oh." Was all she could say. He looked at her again, and she felt her face getting warmer.  
>"For your information, i am trying to.. vacate..." She tried to say, but her eyes betrayed her, letting a few tears slip. He looked worried, and he arched a perfect pale eyebrow.<br>"Let me guess. Mr. Weasel screwed up again, huh?" She merely nodded, letting some more tears flow freely and a strangled sob came from her.  
>"Oh, in Merlins name, sit down, woman." He said, suddenly looking alarmed by seeing her fall apart like this.<br>She did what he told her, and placed her head in her hands.  
>"Really, i'm fine." She managed to say in a trembling voice. He shook his head.<br>"You are so far from fine as ever. Come on." He pulled her up by her arm, and she flinched - She hadn't seen it coming.  
>"Aren't we past old school feuds?" He murmured to her and started pushing the stroller in front of him, leaving the shaggy pub behind them. She nodded. The walked in silence and reached a black SUV parked out front, and he guided her to the front seat.<br>"This is yours?" She said a smirk tugging at her lips, an eyebrow raised in his direction. He nodded and took the still sleeping Rose from the stroller, which he with a flick of his wand turned into a baby-car seat. He gingerly placed Rose in it, and moved to the driver's side. The car roared to life and he started driving. They sat in silence, with the ocasionally grunt from Rose.  
>"Where are we going?" Hermione asked him in a whisper. She still couldn't understand herself, understand why on earth she had followed him, and she was (although she wouldn't admit it) a bit scared.<br>"My place." he simply said and kept driving.

30 minutes later they pulled up to a small cottage in the outskirt of the Bubbington-forrest, a small but mellow place. Hermione stared at the cottage, not believing what she saw.  
>It was simple. Made of wood, with smoke billowing out from the chimney placed in the far end of the house; everything seemed so small, homey and sweet - not at all what she pictured Draco Malfoy living in.<br>"Here we are then." He grunted as he lifted the babyseat from the car and handed it to Hermione. She took it, looking quickly down at her daughter who stirred in her sleep.  
>"Are you coming or what?" His voice sounded further away than last time he spoke, and she looked up to see him standing at the door. She nodded, and her feet started moving on their own accord.<br>She entered and almost smiled. The entire room was a big mashup with different furnitures which looked odd placed around the house at odd angles, but at the same time matched the house perfectly. A small kitchen was next to her, where Draco Malfoy currently were whisking around, preparing tea. She placed her daughter in one of two couches; this one red and plushy, and she moved to stand in front of the fireplace.  
>"This seems like the most unlikely place for you, Malfoy." She said, looking around.<br>He smiled and came to her with two cups of steaming tea in his hands.  
>"So, i know it's not my place, but you are in my house and i'm curious. What happened?" He sat down in a green fluffy chair next to the fireplace, and put the cup to his lips, awaiting her answer. She sighed and sat down on an equally fluffy armchair.<p>

"Well.. oh, where can i start?" She mused, and took a sip of her tea. "well, me and Ron got together right after the war," Malfoy shuddered, but she overlooked it. "and not even two months after the war, i was pregnant. we decided it would be a good idea to get engaged and have the baby before the wedding - but, well, as you can see, there will be no such thing." Her voice trembled. "anyway, earlier this morning, Ron pulled my to the livingroom to tell me he had - in his words - rekindled his relationship with Lavender Brown." Malfoy held a hand up. "The little shrieking mouse with the stupid-ass braids?" He asked, and was silenced by her glare. "He told me he wanted her, not me, and i left with Rose and now i'm here, talking to Draco sodding Malfoy in his house." She laughed. "This seems so stupid." she said, mostly to herself.  
>"It is." He answered, a smirk plastered on his face again. "I'm sorry for what happened, but for all it's worth, he was a stupid idiot." She glared at him.<br>"He was. In school. To you. He is an amazing father, and a suprisingly good roomate." She tried defending him.  
>"Oh, Granger, shall we say we don't lie in this house? He was a bloody git, mostly and often towards you, and you know it. Come on, i've seen you cry countless times over that bloke." She tilted her head, a smile playing at her lips.<br>"Oh, you were watching the mudblood, Malfoy? Did someone fancy me in school?" to her joy and his chagrin, he blushed.  
>"Did not." He stated. "More tea?" He stood up. Hermione started laughing and couldn't stop again.<br>"oh gods! YOU DID!" She rolled around in the chair, laughing to the tears streaked her face and she started hiccupping.  
>"Whatever, Granger." He said sourly. Which only induced her laughing-fit, and he stomped to the kitchen again.<br>She wiped her eyes, and saw her daughter staring at her.

"Mummy? Where's dadu?" She asked. Hermione smiled - Ron had been furious when she couldn't say daddy right, but got mummy right. "I'll tell you some other time, sweetheart. Did you have a nice nap?" She moved to her daughter, who quickly seized her opportunity to crawl upon her mother's lap.  
>"yes." She said, looking past Hermione's shoulder.<br>"Who's the man?" She asked, pointing at Draco. He smiled at the little girl, and moved to her outstreched finger and shook it like a formal handshake.  
>"I'm Draco Malfoy, a friend of your mother's." He said sweetly, making the little girl laugh as he tickled her chin and earning a glare from Hermione as he said the words "friend" and "our mother's" in the same sentence.<br>"Drawo?" Rose asked, brows furrowed in confusion. "that a really stupid wame.." She stated. Hermione snickered at her daughter abillity to make Draco frown so deeply and he turned red around the neck; a thing Hermione hadn't seen since their third year where she punched him on the nose, earning him a bloody nose.

"No. Draco. D-R-A-C-O." He shook her head as Rose repeated "DrawO!" and jumped from her mother's lap. Hermione's eyes followed the girl running around Malfoy's legs.  
>"TOIS. DO YOU HAWE TOIS DRAWO?" He looked bewildered at Hermione. "Toys, Draco, toys." His mouth formed a comical "O" as he realized she had called him by his first name.<br>"You called me Draco." He said while Rose started pulling his trousers screaming "TOOOOIIIIIIS". He almost lost balance, while the little girl jumped up and down.  
>"Oh, Malfoy, aren't we past old school feuds?" She smirked while repeating his own words. He stuck his toung out, earning a gasp from Rose.<br>"YOU CANT DO THAWT." She said, apalled by the action.  
>"Oh, i'm a grown up, so i can." He said to her, tickling her sides. Rose giggled, and Draco lead the little girl to a wooden box in the corner where an array of toys where laying.<p>

Hermione smiled at the view of it,. thinking things may not be as bad as she had pictured them when she got into the car with Draco sodding Malfoy.


	3. A little longer

Hello lovelies! Oh, i'm imsensely happy that so many are reading this story! It was really just a thought to be a one-shot, but as i wrote it i could feel several chapters emerging in my head (hehehehehhe), so hopefully you'll like the next few chapters as well.  
>By the way, hope you like it being updated often todaynight/morning (depending on where you are, of course) because i'm sooo procasting right now.

"MUMMYYYYYY!" Rose screamed, breaking Hermione out of her half-slumber in front of the fireplace, still faintly glowing. A strangled sob came from her left side, and her eyes flew open.  
>"Rose? What is going on?! Are you okay?" She panicked, images of Death-eaters and Voldemort reemerging in her head.<br>"No, i falled down and my knee is ouchie." Her daughter said, her lower lip trembling with the threat of the tears seeping from her eyes turning into a full-scale panick-attack - or, more likely, a hissy-fit.  
>"oh, love, i told you not to.." Hermione sighed and rumpled her temples. "Come here, darling." She pulled her daughter to her lap and bend down to blow on the scraped knee.<br>"Better?" She asked, looking into her daughter's deep brown eyes. She nodded and smiled.  
>"Is Drawo's fauls, i went fling." She said as Draco Malfoy came in , shaking his head and panting.<br>"ROSE! WHY DID YOU..." He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Hermione's face.  
>"I've been here for no longer than 3 hours, Draco Malfoy, and you took my daughter FLYING!? WHILE I WAS ASLEEP?" She yelled at him, Draco retracing his steps to the door.<br>"I'll just.." He tried. "OH, NO YOU WON'T MR. MALFOY. YOU STAY HERE." She screamed, pointing a finger in Draco's direction, and him looking as if he had seen Voldemort come back again.  
>Rose watched her mother get angry, and sensing a danger ahead, hurried to "Drawo's" side, to whisper something to him. He bend down to the two-year-olds level and listened.<br>"mummy gets mad. And dadu kiss it gone." She looked at him knowingly, and sauntered away to the far end of the livingroom, reaching into the wooden box, pulling a small doll out and started playing with it.

"Listen, it wasn't like that, Granger, you know that! It was a SODDING TOYBROOM. SHE LIKED IT." He yelled at her when he looked back up, and much to his surprise and uncomfort, Hermione Jean Granger stood not even an armslength from him.  
>She raised her eyebrows, and her lips pulled into a thin line. He noticed her freckles became way more obvious when she was angry, and he thought about the proposition Grangers offspring had given him - he quickly shook the thought from himself, and<br>"Draco Malfoy. You shall not, under ANY circumstances take my daughter out on a broom again; TOY OR NOT!" She yelled when he tried to object.

The two adults looked at the child playing, quietly whispering words to herself as if she had another playmate around.  
>It was Malfoy who broke the silence.<br>"So.. She's a lot like you, isn't she?" Hermione giggled.  
>"I would say so. She's stubborn, i'd give you that." Draco laughed quietly with Hermione, falling into a relaxed silence.<br>"So, Malfoy, can you drive us to town? I need to find a B&B we can stay at.." She paused at his expression. "Oh, now what?" She asked.  
>"Well.. I kind of brought you here to NOT stay at a B&amp;B.. I have a guesthouse in out back i thought you could use until you find something more suitable for you.." He looked a little lost, and Hermione wondered if he had thought it had been implied. She didn't think it had.<br>"oh, I can't.. I mean.." She looked at him bewildered, yet again anxious as to why he suddenly had turned to the better. Why he was polite and gentle.  
>"Well, you have to." He sneered and she dropped her earlier thoughts; he was still a brat.<br>"Fine." She sneered back, rolling her eyes in the process.  
>"Fine."<p>

A little while later, Hermione and Rose had settled into the guesthouse; it was small, but homey and very lovely. All made in wood, a fire burning already and some tea boiling in the kitchen, Hermione sniffed in the scent of the pinetrees whisking in from her window.  
>"mummy?" Hermione turned to Rose, who was in the midst of rubbing her small eyes, and swaying lightly on her feet.<br>"Yes, love?" She asked, squatting down to her daughter's level.  
>"I like mr. Drawo." Rose stated, streching her arms in front of her. Hermione picked the small girl up, who quickly nuzzled up against her neck and yawned.<br>"It's been a long day.." Hermione whispered to the silence of the room, looking at the clock hanging above the stove. Already 19.30. It suited her well, Rose and herself could get som good nights sleep and start bright and early the next day.  
>She walked carefully up the small, wooden staircase centered in the room, spiralling upwards to two seperate bedrooms; one a bit bigger than the other one. She gingerly placed her daughter in the stroller, internally cursing for not brining the crib, and looked at the little sleeping form, curling around the bear placed there. She smiled and went downstairs again to fetch herself a small cup of tea before heading of to bed.<p>

She looked at the fire roaring and pondering wether or not the picture of the golden trio should be in the middle of the mantlepiece, when the door creaked open.  
>"May i come on?" His voice reached her, and she wafted her hand about, motioning for him to enter.<br>"It would look better in the trash." He said. She could hear the smile on his lips, and she playfully punched his arm, earning a mock "ouch" from him.  
>"Shut it, ferret." He snorted.<br>"What did you want?" She turned to him, finding him to close to comfort, staring intently at her. A smile tugged at his lips.  
>"I'm going into town tomorrow. Care to join me? You can see the daycare and buy a crib and such.." He faltered at the end, praying for a yes. She nodded. "and books. I barely got anything with me.." She stared into space.<br>"Do you know what Rose told me earlier, when you were really pissed?" He asked her smugly. She waited. "She told me to kiss you, because that's the way to shut you up." He grinned.  
>"She did not!" Hermione gasped. Draco nodded. "i have no idea where she would.." She burried her head in her hands again, a few stripes of tomatored skin showing. He laughed.<br>"She reminds me of you - and a little bit of me." He said in between laughter. She widened her eyes at him, not believeing what she had heard.

"i know, she's a Weasel, but.. She has the Slytherin edge to her already." Draco stated. "Well, goodnight Hermione. I hope i'll see you tomorrow." He left with a wave of his hand, leaving Hermione standing frozen in her spot.

Hermione didn't know what to do. It was as if he had forgotten their encounter almost three years ago.


	4. Memories

BACKSTORY TIME. Because it kind of seemed like I needed to put it in…

_Shrieks, screams and growls emitted from everywhere around her. She searched, panicked, for her two best friends, who had both disappeared when part of the wall came crashing down. She screamed for them and started running, but no more than five seconds later, she bumped into a solid form – warm and breathing heavily. She looked up. _

"_Draco." She gasped, looking into his eyes – he stared at her, as if he had found the greatest treasure in the world, and hugged her tightly. Suddenly, a loud groan came from somewhere above their heads, and they both looked up to see the ceiling starting to give in. _

"_Here!" he yelled over the sounds of warcries, spells and screams and pulled her into a room – blood had been smeared on the door, which only hung by a few splinters of wood. _

"_Hermione, what on earth are you doing alone!? I thought Potter and Weasley would be there!" He screamed at her, and she burst into tears. _

"_They disappeared, I don't know, I can't find…" She cried harder now, gripping his torn shirt tightly, and he gripped her just as hard. _

"_You're so stupid, Hermione, so fucking stupid!" He started franticly to kiss her hair and everywhere else he could manage to reach skin; he finally reached her lips, and a burning passion, as hot as roaring fire, swept through their bodies. _

_It was like it was only them and the sounds of clothes being ripped apart in their frantic need for comfort. _


	5. Letters

**Holy... Oh my God, it's amazing how many is already reading this!  
>I could really use some feedback, so if you have anything to say, good or bad, then feel free to do so!<strong>

**I really hope you enjoy this story, albeit a ****twisted storyline, but i do hope you enjoy it! **

Hermione slowly moved to her room, hearing nothing but her own feet shuffling across the thick carpet, sulking in her own memories.  
>She would have thought he had remembered it. That he hadn't forgotten - or at least, that he could regonize himself in their daughter. She shook her head, and moved across the floor to her bed, silently shedding pieces of clothing as she walked.<p>

Harry and Ron had been nagging her about who the father was when she found out she was pregnant, but she refused to tell them. At first, Ron had been angry with her for not being with him, but it seemed as though he had gotten past it a few weeks later.  
>She remembered how much she hated herself for doing it to Ron; his gaze never really left her, and when she caught his eyes he looked so dissapointed all the time.<br>She had hoped he had gotten past it, really and truly, but that's the thing about Weasley's - especially Ron - they held grudges for much longer than needed.  
>Hermione sat down on her bed, and pulled a piece of parchment from her nighstand, along with a quill, and quickly wrote down a few words.<p>

_"Dear Harry. I'm sure you've already heard what happened, and i just needed to tell you i'm fine._  
><em>Would you say it to Ronald as well? Me and rose are doing okay, we have rented a place and hopefully we'll stay for a while.<em>  
><em>I'm sorry. I wish i could tell you where, but... It all seems so weird, doesn't it? And besides, i think i could use the peace and quiet for a while.<em>  
><em>Tell Ronald i'm happy for him and Lavender, but i'm still so dissapointed and ashamed that he had not told me earlier.<em>  
><em>Give your best to Ginny, George and the rest.<em>  
><em>Love, Hermione."<em>

She reread the letter, and deciding it was fine, she put it on the nightstand, intending to send it by owl tomorrow. She got up again, wanting to check on her daughter again; years of angst had not passed, and she stared down at the small frame sleeping in the stroller.  
>The dazzling charm she had put on her daughter, had worn off. She mentally wrote down to remember to do it again tomorrow - gone were the brown curls, instead a tangled mess of silvery blond had appeared on her daughter head. She was sure that her eyes had changed too, looking more like Draco than herself at the moment. Hermione nuzzled her daughter's cheek, and finally walked to her room again - deciding it was time to rest.<p>

In the other house, Draco Malfoy sat in his favourite, fluffy chair with a glass of firewhiskey in his hand. He pondered over strange things, as Hermione Granger who is a mother, Granger getting left behind by Weasley, Granger, Granger, Granger.  
>He mused a bit over her daughter as well; yes, she reminded him of a young Hermione, but even more so of himself as a child.<br>His head started hurting, as if he tried to remember something, but his memories had gone fuzzy after his Mother had tried to obliviate him; he had, of course, asked for her to do it, mostly for him to forget the horrors he had seen during the War, but it wasn't powerful enough; he had lost memories of all that had happened after the War - he couldn't even remember why he had moved to Bubbington.

He swirled his glass, watching the firewhiskey spinning in his glass.  
>He was annoyed, now, over why on earth his brain kept pushing him to trying to remember something. He caught glimpses of the memory, but only a lock of brown, curly hair, a soft moan and a vaugely familiar scent could he remember.<br>He dropped the idea of pushing it, instead taking a large gulp of the substance in the glass, squinting as the warm liqiud went down his throat.  
>A soft tap on the window reminded him of why he had stayed up - as he looked towards it, a smallish owl sat tapped again with it's beak, and he swiftly opened the window, letting the bird fly in.<br>it nuzzled his hand with its beak as he wrought the letter from the small pouch hanging from the owl's leg.

_"Dearest Draco._  
><em>I am sorry i cannot give you information about my whereabouts, but i assure you, i'm quite safe.<em>  
><em>Blaise Zabini joined me a week ago on the search, and he's been keeping me updated with everything he knows about your life.<em>  
><em>I'm appalled by the news that you broke off your engagement. I know Pansy Parkinson may not be perfect, but you two have been the best of friends" Draco snorted. "and i do wish you could get on good terms again - although, an engagement would be stupid, seeing she has re-married Theodore Nott, from what i gather.<em>  
><em>I miss you, dearest child, i really do. I hope to return soon.<em>  
><em>I hope... I hope to find your father, and i hope that he may have changed for the better.<em>  
><em>Love,<em>  
><em>Your Mother."<em>

He smiled ruefully as he folded the letter again, looking for a piece of parchment, and finally settling for a small piece of paper, where he wrote down a reply.

_"Dearest Mother._  
><em>I hope you are at good health, then. Give Blaise a smack on the head from me, thank you.<em>  
><em>Pansy... Pansy is Pansy, and i can't say i love her, but she has changed after Theodore. I'm to be a Godfather, did you know that?<em>  
><em>At any rate, i do hope you find him. And if he hasn't changed, then you know how i feel.<em>  
><em>Miss you too, Mother.<em>  
><em>Love,<em>  
><em>Draco.<em>"

He gave the bird an owltreat while putting the letter in the pouch again.  
>"Off you go." he whispered into the night, watching the owl fly from him.<br>His mother had been all around the world to find his Father; he had refused to come along, as he could not stand to look at the man anymore.  
>He had promised her that he would talk to him, but only if Lucius had changed to the better, and somewhere in his heart, i wished it to be.<br>He sighed deeply, drawing the smell of firewood, pines and sawdust in, and then closed the window, his firewhiskey forgotten on the mantlepiece.  
>He turned around, wondering when Hermione would be up again.<p> 


	6. Surprises

**Still, getting more and more happy about the amounts of reads this story gets. Thank you all! As always, please review!**

**Oh, and because i have forgotten it the last five chapters, here it is: **

**I own NOTHING - only my imagination. All characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, my queen. **

Hermione awoke with a scream, shaking like a leaf in the harsh wind howling outside her window. She hugged herself while silent sobs ran through her body; all those people, all those friends she had lost kept piling up on her. A tenative voice reached her.  
>"mummy?" The little girl stood at the end of Hermione's bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.<br>"Oh, honey, i'm sorry, did i wake you?" She streched her arms towards Rose, letting the girl crawl into her lap and nuzzle into her neck, her face covered by her hair.  
>"Is mummy sad?" The girl asked, a slight tremor running through her. Hermione sighed deeply and shook her head; even though she tried, she couldn't shake the nightmares from her - one day her daughter would understand, but right now she was too little, too innocent to hear the horrors Hermione had went through.<p>

"no, love, i'm not." She hugged the girl.

"Are you scary?" Her daughter asked, finally lifting her head from Hermione's neck and looked her in the eyes, a drop of water falling down her cheek.  
>"No, honey, not anymore. It was just a bad dream." She stroked the back of the small child, and relaxed all the same.<br>"Come on, let's get some breakfeast, huh?"

She asked, tickling the girl - a small burst of giggles errupted from Rose, who merely nodded and let her mother carry her downstairs. Hermione didn't bother putting up the spell to hide her daughter's real looks, feeling as though they would be alone.  
>If she had only remembered the deal that she had made yesterday night with Draco, she would have done it in a flash, but fatigue had her firmly, and frankly, right now, all she cared about were a cup of hot coffee.<p>

They desended the staircase, laughing, and she put Rose in a her chair; reaching for the strawberry-mush Rose liked so much.  
>she turned the kettle on, tapping her foot, not in the mood for waiting on coffee to be done. The little girl splashed her hands down into the mush, colouring the table a soft red all the whiloe giggling. Hermione sighed. She had hoped Rose had gone past the whole throwing food around, but she had clearly hoped for too much.<br>"Oh, sweetie. Don't.. Oh, come here." She lifted the girl, getting strawberry on her t-shirt, and proceeded to carrying her up the stair; well, she was about to do so when the front door creaked open, a smiling Draco Malfoy stepping inside. Rose giggled.  
>"DRAWOO!" She smiled, but Hermioen froze with her eyes fixed on Draco - she had only now realized her mistake by not covering her daughter's hair or eyes, and she slowly saw it dawn upon him. His face turned pale, and he wavered a bi.<br>"Draco, sit down. I'll be right there." Her voice trembled. Rose giggled again, pulling Hermione's long curls, letting the strech out and curl back up again.  
>Hermione placed Rose in her room, setting her teddybear and some toys next to her.<br>"Honey, you have to stay here, okay? i'm just downstairs, i need to talk to Mr. Draco, okay?" her girl nodded, already fixated on a doll in a green dress next to her.

Hermione came downstairs dreading this encounter; she had never really planned to tell him, but now that she knew he knew, she had no other choice.  
>He sat in one of the chairs, looking horrified as he stared into the flames.<p>

"hi, Draco." She merely whispered, but he held a hand up, silencing her. She waited.  
>"What. Is. Going. On." He asked her, still looking at the fireplace, the light shimmering on his face.<br>"uhm.. Well.. Don't you remember anything? The classroom? during the war?" He slowly looked at her; his eyes looked dead.  
>"My Mother tried to erase my memories of the war, but it backfired and erased efterything AFTER and mostly everything during the war." He said, Hermione dreading what was about to come next.<br>"Okay." She said.  
>"So... What?" He looked at her.<br>"Well.. oh, for Merlin's sake! We had sex, okay?! I was crying, you were... I don't know, the celiling decided to collapse and we shagged. And that's what happened."  
>He raised his eyebrows.<br>"That's it? THAT'S IT!? HELL, HERMIONE, THAT WAS NOT ALL THAT HAPPENED! HAVE YOU LOOKED AT HER!?" He pointed upwards now, and suddenly he was on his feet, towering over Hermione, who trembled with fear.  
>"SHE IS MY SPTTING IMAGE, GRANGER! AND YOU JUST DECIDED NOT TO TELL ME?!" He panted. She waited and finally spoke.<br>"nobody could know, Draco. That's why.. She's been looking like me. Nobody. We said so. And i would have contacted you, but i didn't know how you would have reacted having a.. bastard kid with a mudblood." He frowned.  
>"stop calling yourself that."<br>"well, it's true, isn't it?"  
>"it doesn't matter, Granger. I have a daughter that i knew nothing about, and you're worried that i would, what, kill her?" Hermione bit her lip.<br>"No. Your.. Father." She spat at him. "couldn't soil the Malfoy bloodline, could we?" She stared at him, her words dripping with venom.  
>"Hermione, He's GONE! YOU BLOODY..." They stood in silence for a while.<br>"i need to get to know her, then." Hermione looked into his eyes.  
>"Does anybody know you and i...?" He stammered, wishing that Potter and Weasley didn't know.<br>"no." Her words rang clear. He nodded slowly.

Hermione picked her daughter up from the floor, and whispered for her to behave. They were heading out, like a little, prober family (Hermione shuddered), and she refused to get the argument in the way for her shopping.

"Hermione?" His voice rang through the house.  
>"Yes?" She half-shouted back.<br>"there's somebody here to meet you..." Draco shouted back, his sneer obvious in his words.  
>She came downstairs, holding her now blonde daughter (really, it was no longer important to hide it) in her arms, and stopped dead in her tracks and paled when she saw who was standing in the door, looking sullen.<p>

"RON!?"  
>"Hermione..?"<p> 


	7. Meet and Greet

**Ok, this is getting out of hand - i'm writing so many chapters in one day... I should do homework..**

**oh, well! Enjoy it! (review, review and stuff.) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hp-universe; sadly... Everything (including my thanks for writing such amazing characters) goes out to J.K Rowling.**

_**NOTE: ASSAULT/RAPE-LIKE SITUATION, SO IF IT CAN WORK AS A TRIGGER PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER.**_

* * *

><p>Hermione stared at the red haired man standing in front of her, with a very sullen Draco Malfoy standing next to him, looking about ready to destroy something.<p>

She clutched her daughter closer to her chest.

"Ron? What on earth are you doing here? And how did you find me?" She asked, surprised to see her ex standing in her doorway.

"I traced your owl so.. What are you doing with the ferret?" He said, glared at Draco, who had mustered up a very smug grin, and expecting his remark, Hermione cut in.

"It's not important. Why did you trace my owl? Why are you here, Ron?" She rubbed her free hand over her forehead, a clear sign of stress in Hermione's case.

"I came to.. Wait, is that Rose? Why is she blond? She was.." Ron's eyes looked again, his head shifting so quickly between Rose and Draco it was almost comical.

"Wha-Ho.." His ears turned red, and Hermione tried to calm him.  
>"Ron, it's.."<p>

"YOU WHORE! MALFOY!? YOU SCREWED MALFOY!?" His ears had reached their peak, and the redness turned downwards, colouring his cheeks, neck and the visible part of his chest.

"Oi, talk.." Draco tried, but Ron ignored him.

"You wouldn't give me the time of the day! YOU SAID YOU WOULD BLOODY WAIT UNTIL YOU WERE READY AGAIN!"

Hermione teared up, and Rose whimpered at the sound of Ron's shouting.  
>"Ron, i'm sorry, it's just.." Ron pointed a finger at her, cutting her off again.<p>

"No bloody wonder i've been screwing Lavender for the past six months. She's not a sodding prude! I came here because i wanted you back, but now i see you are all lovely-dovey with that bloody bouncing ferret, i'll just leave again."

Hermione pressed her lips into a tight line, and stalked towards Draco, handing him Rose.

He shot her a look, but kept his mouth shut.

"Ronald Billius Weasley. You told me you had met Lavender two sodding months ago, and now it's six?" Her eyes blazed with rage.

"And you have the NERVE" She started shouting, and in the corner of her eye, she saw Draco slipping outside with a crying Rose in his arms - she nodded courtly at him, and returned to Ron."TO CALL ME A WHORE!? I. WAITED. FOR. YOU. I. DOUBTED. YOU. WHEN I SLEPT WITH DRACO, IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOUR LITTLE MISHAP. AND YOU ARE TELLING ME I AM THE WHORE, RONALD?"

Ron had turned pale by the mention of his little "adventure", where Hermione had walked in on him banging Fay Donnahue in their bed.

"you better leave now." She said, her eyes brimming with tears.

"i.. No, you know what?" He stalked towards her, pressing her up against the wodden wall and placing his hands on both sides of her.

"My time, inn't?" He whispered menancily, and grabbed her by the hair - she screamed, but he placed his other hand around her throat, effectivly cutting off any sound.

"You better fucking enjoy this, Hermione." He said before he crashed his lips onto hers.

She wanted to scream; his day-old beard were itching her, his breath smelled like he had been eating rotten corpses for days on end, and her vision started blacking out - she tried to breathe, but he quickly rammed his tounge into her mouth, making her even more dizzy and faint.

Suddenly his lips left her, but before she could feel relieved, he grasped her hair again, throwing her down on the floor with force. She started crying, because this couldn't happen, not with Rose outside and not by Ron..

She heard smashing, and suddenly she was rolled to her stomach, and she instantly felt shards of something sharp cutting into her.  
>"Ron, please.. Don't.." She tried to say, but he shoved her head down into the shards with his heavy booted foot, and she screamed.<p>

She closed her eyes, as fists and other things came raining down on her; she didn't want to look, but she heard the grunts, she heard the "you fucking whore" and she felt it when something warm and sticky hit her exposed back.

Suddenly, the door slammed open, and she finally dared to open her eyes - she couldn't see from her left eye, and her right one was swollen, but she saw the blur of a man pulling his pants up, and another bodyslamming into him, sending them both flying to the small dinnertable.

The last thing she heard was: "Weasel, you are going to pay." And then everything was black.

When she woke up, the first thing she saw was bright lights. Too bright. She groaned and tried to move, but her entire body was hurting; and she groaned again, this time from the pain.

"Wow, there, relax. I'm here." She saw nothing at first, and then a pair of pale, grey eyes came into view.

A pair of full lips smiled down at her, and she realized for the first time that Draco malfoy was beautiful.

"Where am i?" She simply asked, followed by a more urgent question. "And where's.." He shussed her, and she glared at him.

"Your in my sidehouse. I run a small Healer's office here, and i thought you'd rather be here than anywhere Weasel might get in. And Rose is fine, she hasn't seen you - she's with my friend, Linda - she's a hufflepuff, by the way -" he said when he saw her look of horror. "And she's okay. You, on the other hand, are not. Do you remember anything?"

Everything. She remembered everything, and she started crying.

"No, oh, no, gods... Don't cry, Hermione, please? I'ts okay. I've healed you, you just have to take some potions once in a while."  
>She sniffed.<p>

"He did something horrible, didn't he?" She whispered, remembering the warm, sticky mess on her back. And by the looks of it, so did Draco.

"Yes. Not to worry. Just sleep a bit, okay?" She nodded, and fell asleep instantly.

Draco looked at her, wondering why on earth anyone could harm this woman. Even beaten up, with cuts, bruises and later on, scars, she was perfection.

A light knocking came from the door. He turned to it.  
>"Hey, Linda." He said, looking away again.<p>

"The girl's asleep." Linda shook her head.

"She looks god-awful." Draco pursed his lips in a very not-Malfoy-like way, and Linda smiled.

"She'll come around, you'll see." he murmured something.

"Relax, Draco, your girlfriend is going to be okay again. You're here, remember?"

She smiled and left, leaving Draco to stutter something about: "i'm not her.. She's.." to the closed door.

* * *

><p><strong>IM SORRY FOR THIS SHITHEAD CHAPTER. i KNOW THAT MOST PEOPLE POTRAY RON LIKE THIS, BUT I NEEDED TO DO THIS TO MAKE THE STORY WORK OUT RIGHT. <strong>

**Sorry :3**

**Remember to review!**


	8. Bruised and battered

**Hey guys! Thank you all for the reviews! :D I really am glad to hear how much you are enjoying this story!**

**I would just like to say that Rose is about two and a half at this point - the reason she can talk (and talk so well) is because my idea of Hermione as a mother is revolving around the fact that she would teach her own kid before it could walk. So i'm sure that Rose have been practising a lot of words!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing (trust me, then i'd be on a beach somewhere with Tom Hiddleston) - credits to J.K Rowling.**

* * *

><p>Hermione woke with a cough; her body felt like it had been rammed over by a hord of centaurs, and she groaned. She opened her eyes, expecting bright lights to beam down on her, but it was mellow and soft - the only noises to be heard was a constant beeping from a wand laying next to her.<p>

"hello?" She tried. A door opened, and Draco stepped inside, a smile playing on his lips.

"You seem better." He lifted the wand, concuring a list of words, and nodded approvingly at it.

"I feel better. how is Rose?" she looked at him, and he laid the wand down again.

"She's fine - sleeping safe and sound." He smiled at her, and she sat up in the bed.

"where's the bright lights and such?" She looked around, and realized she was no longer in the hospital-room.

"uhm... Well, you're in my room. I thought you'd be better off in here. Softer." He mumbled.

"Thank you Draco." She said. He nodded and blushed. She blushed as well.

"Hey, i was wondering something." He said after a while. She gazed at him.  
>"Well... i thought we should try and be friends. And i would like youtomoveinherewithmeandroseandwecouldgoonadateorsomething i dont know." He mumbled fast. She giggled.<p>

"Try again, didn't catch it all?" She giggled again.

"Would you and rose m-move in here? I mean, seeing as i am her father it would be good. And maybe we should go on a date. well, not a date. dinner." He said, falling over his own words.

"I would like that very much, Draco." She whispered. He looked at her, and once again he realized how pretty she was.  
>"Oh, yes, well. That's settled then." He smiled gently at Hermione, locking his silver eyes in her brown. He realized how sappy he must have looked, and quickly regained his posture.<p>

"just to be clear, this is only an... agreement, nothing more!" He said, crossing his arms across his broad chest.

"Oh. Yes, of course." She said, her eyes showing hurt. He coughed.

"I'll move your things while you are on bedrest, okay?" He said a bit more gently. She merely nodded, and closed her eyes again, her thoughts swirling around the blond man.

Draco refused to remember her face as it fell at his words. It was nothing, he reasoned with himself as he walked to the guesthouse. As he was searching through Hermione's room, he found may things that made him remember his Hogwarts time. A picture of her, buck-toothed and laughing, her frizzy hair in the face of two of her friends. A worn out diary, tossed into the corner of the room; and his curiousity got the best of him. He sat down on her bed and opened it - it seemed as it was from her time at Hogwarts, dating from her fourth year and forward. He opened it at a random page and started reading.

_"Dear diary. I simply refuse to excuse Ronalds behaviour at the Yuleball. I'm so tired of it all, and of course, Harry's been siding with him yet again, making me an outcast._  
><em>I've been spending most of my time in the library, reading and reading; i love books, but this is so lonesome. They are not the best company to keep, i'm afraid."<em>

Draco furrowed his brows at this. He remembered the Yuleball clearly, and he remembered her and her dress, delicately hugging her body. She looked perfect, her hair not at all frizzy, but put up - and it was the first time he had ever realized that he wanted her. During their Hogwarts-time, he had that feeling severall times, but refusing to act on it - she was a Mudblood and he was the Malfoy Heir.  
>he turned the pages, reading on.<p>

_"Hello._  
><em>I'm so tired, so imensely tired.<em>  
><em>I can't do this anymore.. I keep looking at Harry and Ron, keep giving them signs and almost telling them what is going on, but i can't bring myself to it.<em>  
><em>I've been spending the bigger part of my freetime at the astronomy-tower, pondering over things. Wondering, you know?<em>  
><em>Mostly wondering if anybody would notice it if i just.. Fell. Right now, fell down, letting my body hit the ground beneath me, and finally be done.<em>  
><em>Sometimes, i get worse. Wondering if my eyes will be open or closed, of what sound it would make if i did so.<em>

_And today i think i might let myself fall. Because i'm tired._  
><em>I keep seeing people around me, looking happy and chummy, but i can't do it. We lost Sirius last year, Cedric the year before and.. I can't handle all the pain.<em>  
><em>I think i'm not alone with it, though. I keep seeing Draco Malfoy running around, looking thinner, paler and worse everyday, and sometimes i think he and i share the same thoughts. Not that i would ask, he would probably hex me or something worse."<em>

Draco closed the journal, sick to his stomach. She had noticed him, of all people, and she had seen how much he had suffered? And she had suffered as well. He couldn't understand it, Hermione Granger, the strongest witch he had ever known, had been like this.  
>He did remember once, where he had gone to the Tower to cry and be by himself, where he had seen a figure standing there, leaning over the rail - he had never thought it had been Granger.<p>

"Drawo?" A small voice reached him. He looked to the door, realizing when his eyes were misty, that he had been crying. He sniffed and whiped the tears from his face.  
>"Where's mummy?" Rose asked, walking towards him.<br>"She's sleeping, love. She'll be up soon." He streched his arms to his daughter, and she came into them.  
>"Will the bad man take her again?" She asked, her voice trembling with fear.<br>Draco had no idea where she had heard it, but his heart ached for his little girl, so afraid.  
>"No. I'm here, remember? And i'm strong and dangerous!" He said, tickling the girl, producing a giggle.<br>"Okay." A small pause. "can i see?" She asked.  
>"Ypur mum?" Rose nodded.<br>"Not yet, love, not yet. She needs to sleep. But you can pack your room!" He said.  
>"Why?" She asked him, her brows furrowing again.<br>"BEcause you are going to have a much bigger room soon, love!" He said, and she smiled at him, making his heart flutter.

"Okay." she said, and skipped into her room, a loud bang following her wake as she started to throw her toys into a wooden box.  
>Draco smiled.<p> 


	9. Looking back

**Hey guys! Again, thanks for the reviews :D**  
><strong>I'm so sorry, but it seems as though a writers blockage has come over me, so i'm lacking ANY motivation what so ever to write, so this is more like a filler for now while i try to sort it out...<strong>

**On another note: I will delete reviews which has nothing to say. I love when i get reviews i can use, but the hate on this story will be deleted. :)**

**Disclaimer: all belongs to J.K Rowling!**

* * *

><p><em>Draco ran around the garden, finally feeling free from the horrors in the house behind him. He laughed, feeling more like a carefree five-year old than a eighteen year old boy. <em>

_"Draco?" A timid voice reached him, and he came to a halt. His mother never spoke like that unless something was terribly wrong. He had heard it three times total: When The Dark Lord came to their house to stay, when he got the... Mission.. from him and when his Mother had told him Potter, Granger and Weasley had been captured and brought to their house. _

_"Mother? What's wrong?" He ran to her. She looked worse than he had seen her before - he was sure she had slept the same amount as he had, which hadn't been more than a few hours per night. Her skin streched tightly over her bones, her eyes sunken, and she shivered, even in the warm summerwind. _

_"draco, come inside, please." She beckoned him, and he stepped inside the house again. Even without The Dark Lord present, the house felt cold and harsh, a feeling he was sure would never dissapear. He sat down in one of the uncomfortable chairs stationed around the great hall.  
>He looked at her, waiting for her to say something. She paced in front of him.<em>

_"Draco, your father.." He looked at her. "Is rotting in Azkaban, mother." He spat, making her jump by his words.  
>"No. He.. Got out. We don't know how or why, nor where he left to go, but.. I'll go look for him. I can only hope he doesn't show up here, you'd kill him." She breathed, and he snickered.<br>"Yes, i would." She glared at him.  
>"Mother, he is NOT my father in my eyes. He is the man who made my life miserable. And i refuse to see him again. I finally got.. Not over it, but i can handle the whole pure-blood-is-better thing, and he will not change it." Narcissa stared at her son.<br>"Draco, you've grown so much.." She sat down next to him, and took his hand in hers. He noted how cold is was.  
>"But i have to find him. He is my husband, and i do love him." Draco nodded, his lips a thin line.<br>"If i find him, and it is a BIG if, then i will contact you, Draco. You don't have to see him, but i'm sure he would wish to see you."  
>"I refuse if he still believe muggleborns are scum. We are equal, Mother, and i refuse to let him tear my ideas of the new world down!" He stood up, Narcissa's hand falling into her lap again.<em>

_"Okay, Draco, okay." She nodded.  
>"I'll move out. I can't.. Not alone." She simply nodded, letting the words hang in the air.<br>"I cannot tell you where i will look, Draco, do you understand why?" He nodded. The order and the entire Ministry must be out looking for Lucius, and if anything slipped, then his mother would dissapear as well. _

_"Good boy." She kissed his forhead and moved quietly out of the room. Draco stared after her, even long after her shadow had dissapeared. _


	10. Shopping

**THANK YOU FOR REVIEWWSSSS 333**

**Disclaimer: all to J.K Rowling, my queen!**

* * *

><p>Draco and Hermione had fallen into a simple rutine; it was easy for them to live together, even with Rose, and Draco had started to enjoy the company.<br>Hermione's bruises had almost vanished, and she was starting to enjoy the company too.

Draco hadn't heard from his mother since last, and Hermione kept getting letters from Harry and Ginny, both begging her to return to London and to them - telling her that Ron had told them he was sorry, but she disregarded it - she enjoyed being around Draco.

"Draco?" She asked, placing herself in a kitchenchair, the sound of childrens-tv running in the background.

"Mmmh?" He mumbled, roaming the kitchen for food.

"I was wondering... I want to go into town - you know, groceries and stuff. Plus, Rose's birthday is coming up, and i want to get her a present."

Draco nodded and smiled. He had grown closer to Rose during the last months, and she had even started calling him Daddy, much to Hermione's chargrin.  
>"Okay. I want to go with you!" He said, and pulled his phone from his pocket. Draco had truly embraced the muggle-way with many thing, mostly the technology. "Hi, Lisa? Can you watch Rose for the day?" Hermione heard a muffled answer, and Draco hung up.<p>

"Lisa will take her today, so we have the entire day devoted to shopping!" His face light up, and Hermione giggled.  
>"Wonderful! Well, when will she be here?" Lisa was Draco's friend, and Hermione had Lisa had instantly clicked when they met the first time.<br>"In ten. Get dressed." Draco smiled and turned from her, grabbing an apple from the counter.

Hermione went into the livingroom, where Rose was absorbed in Dora the Explorer.  
>"Rose?" Her daughter looked at her. "Lisa will come to visit you soon, and you and her will have the day for yourself. Draco and I are going into town to shop a bit." Rose merely nodded and turned her gaze to the tv again. Hermione sighed and left the livingroom.<p>

Hermione stood in her room, looking over her choices of clothing. She groaned, and finally decided on a green jumper with black jeans. She swiftly put her hair up in a ponytail, hiding some of the frizz.

"Hermioneee, are yu readyyyy?" Draco yelled at her and she sighed again. She enjoyed being with him, but she was still anxious to be alone with him - it was weird for her, remembering everything, and him still experiencing the memories all over again.  
>She walked into the living room again, and smiled broadly.<p>

"Lisa!" The blonde girl looked at her and smiled widely back at her.  
>"'Mione! It's been too long!" Lisa hugged Hermione, and pulled back a bit again. "You look wonderful." Hermione blushed and smiled.<br>"Thank you, Lisa." She looked to Rose.  
>"You'll be on your best behaviour, right?" She asked sternly.<p>

"Mummy, i'll be the bestest!" Rose giggled as Lisa picked her up.  
>"Come on, then." Draco ruffled Rose's hair.<p>

"Daddy, buy me candi." Rose said, and Lisa smiled, looking to Hermione who still was shocked to hear her daughter call Draco "Daddy".  
>"Sure, doll, sure." Draco said and kissed the top of her head.<p>

"Hermione, are you ready?" Hermione nodded and took his arm, waving with her free hand at the two girls.

They apparated to the small village, and she let go of his arm. Draco frowned, but let it slide - he had decided not to move anywhere out of bounds.  
>"Where shall we start?" Hermione asked, looking around the village covered autumn-colours.<p>

"Groceries first, then we'll fix the rest after." she nodded, and followed Draco to the centre of the town.

They shopped for a while, and Draco couldn't keep his eyes of the witch trailing the store with him. He had finally realized, after a small argument with Lisa, that the feelings he had stored for Hermione were more than just friendship, but he had decided not to act on it; she was still hurt, and he wished for nothing but the best for her.

After the spree in the grocerie-store, they turned to a magical toy-shop, and they quickly realized that they disagreed over most things.

"No, Draco, she is NOT getting a broom! I refuse - she's turning three, for gods sake!" Hermione said when Draco approached her with a small broom in his hands.

"Hermioneee!" She looked sternly at him and he put the broom down again and huffed a small "Fine." she smiled. Hermione couldn't understand the feelings he evoked in her - she had only felt like this once before, and that was only for a brief span of time with Victor Krum - she tried to forget them, but somehow they appeared when she least expected it.

"then what are we getting her?" Draco asked her and turned to look at her. His silver eyes searched her face, and she damned herself for blushing when he did. He chuckled.  
>She groaned and moved around the store yet again, looking through several articles of toys, befor her eyes landed on something she thought to be perfect.<p>

"Draco.." She whispered and pointed at it.  
>It was a dollhouse, what one would think normal, but from what the sign said it was far from. It would change into the home one desired the most, complete with furnitures and dolls. Draco nodded.<br>"It's perfect." He snaked his arm around Hermione's waist, and she leaned into him.

After they had bought the dollhouse and got it wrapped, they stood outside the store when a cold wind picked up, making Hermione shiver.  
>"How about some lunch?" Hermione nodded, and allowed his hand to wrap itself around her waist again as they walked to the little inn in the outskirts of the city.<p>

As they entered, a small waitress came to them, smiling broadly. "ah, mr. Jenkinns! And Mrs. Jenkinns, i presume?" She smiled at them, and Hermione raised her eyebrows in Draco's direction. He merely nodded. "Table for two, please." The waitress nodded and lead them to asmall table next to a window facing out against the park. Hermione looked out at the children hopping around in the trees and smiled.

"I'll be right back with your menu's." The waitress left.  
>"So.. Mr. Jenkinns?" Hermione giggled.<p>

"Oh, do shut up. i dislike when people regonize me, so i use a different name. Hope you don't mind being married to be for a day." He asked, a smirk appearing on his face. She shook her head.

"No, i'll manage." They sat in silence for a while, when a eldery man approached them.

"Ah, this must your wife, Jenkinns?" he shook Draco's hand, and Draco nodded.

"I'm Miriam." Hermione quickly said as the man looked at her. He took her hand and shook it.  
>"Nice to meet you."<p>

"Likewise." Hermione caught Draco's eyes, and he looked like he was about to blow something up.  
>"Well, i'll be seeing you soon, yeh? Since i'm buying your stocks and all." The man chuckled and left them.<br>"Draco?" hermione asked quietly, concern in every edge of her voice. He shook his head.  
>"I wont talk about it right now. Just.. Let's enjoy lunch, okay?" She nodded weakly. The waitress returned with the menu's and they sat in silence as they looked through it.<p>

"I think i'll go for the chicken salad." Hermione stated out of nowhere, and Draco's eyes shot up to her. She smiled at him.

"Same goes for me." He waved the waitress over and placed their orders.  
>"Hermione?" She looked at him. "Did you realized this is the first time we're actually alone?" He asked her, a sly grin on his lips.<br>"I did, yes. It's nice." She said, a faint blush colouring her cheeks.

"We should do it more often." she nodded.  
>A faint click reached them, then another and another and Hermione's head whipped around.<p>

"Oh no." She breathed and Draco looked over her shoulder. A faintly regonizable cameraman took their picture, and lowered his camera to smile sickly at them - a flash of green and blonde raced past him, dragging the cameraman with it.

"shit."


	11. Paper is due

**Hello darlings! I'm so happy that you all seem to enjoy this story! I'm sorry to say that i have a HUGEEE writersblock right at the moment, and it would help me so much if i could get some ideas about how it should work out. Any ideas, small or big or even if you think it's crazy, then pleaseeee come with them - i need iiit! **

**Disclaimer: All belongs to my queen, J.K Rowling.**

* * *

><p>Hermione raced into the living room the following day, where Draco sat with Rose on his lap and read out loud to her.<br>He merely looked at her and furrowed his brows when he saw the paper in her hand.

"Hermione..?"

"that evil, foul... COW! LOOK AT WHAT SHE WROTE ABOUT US!"

Draco took the paper from a shaking Hermione and opened it up - the headline and the entire centre of the paper was a picture of him and Hermione, sitting and grinning at eachother.  
>He started reading.<p>

_"Gryffindorprincess and Slytherinprince?_

_By Rita Skeeter_

_Hermione Granger, known as The Brightest Witch of her age, was yesterday noon seen with none other than Draco Malfoy in the humble town of Bubberton. They seemed to be cozy and rather close, so of course our reporter rushed to get a fill on the latest news. This is what wzas said:_

_"Can you handle being my wife?" _

_"I think i can manage."_

_Followed by big smiles and lovely eyes. We must now ask ourselves, what is going on?_

_The last we heard from mr. Malfoy was that he had avoided Azkaban, and had left the Wizarding part of London for good. His reputation is still hanging very low, as his Father escaped Azkaban earlier this year, followed by Narcissa Malfoy. Draco Malfoy had also been known as a spoiled child during his time at Hogwarts, and from reliable sources we have heard that Mrs. Granger (or is it Malfoy?) and himself had their disputes during their time. Hermione Granger went awol after the war, investing her time with her long term boyfriend, Ronald Weasley, a part of the golden trio. _

_We talked to Ronald Weasley, Hermione Grangers ex-fiance, who stated this:_

_She has a kid with him and apparently they are married now. That slimy bitch. He refused to say anything about their breakup. _

_The question is now; how did Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy end up together?_

_We will follow the story closely."_

Draco looked stunned at the paper.

"They listened to our conversation?" He asked Hermione, who had sat down in a chair in defeat.

"Apparently. And they twisted the words.." she placed her head in her hands. "and Ron! How could he.."

Draco stood up, pulling Rose with him, who snuggled closer to his body.

"Hermione, it's not your fault. We should have been more careful about it. The issue is more how on earth we'll avoid a shitstorm of reporters now." Hermione scoffed when he swore, and Rose's head peaked up from his neck.

"mummy? You sad?" Hermione smiled. "No, baby, i'm not." Rose nodded and clung to Draco.

"Hermione, what are we going to do?" He looked at the witch. She looked back to him, her eyes burning into his.

"We have two options. Keep a low profile, hoping it'll pass, or keep up the pretence to give them something to write about and then letting it drift out again." Draco nodded.

"What about Rose?" He asked and Hermione sighed.

"It'll be easier for her to.. She's a child, Draco, and she doesn't know how to keep quiet. She lives with you, she calls to daddy and.. Oh, i don't know." She buried her head in her hands again.

"Should we just.. Pretend to be married? keep it up?" He asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"i think that would be best. At least for Rose. Plus, they don't give a frogs fart about it if we don't deny it." She stated, shrugging her shoulders.

"You're right." He looked at Rose.

"Rose? would you want to go to Wizarding Playland?" Rose eyes bulged.

"PLAYLAND?" She clapped her hands, giggling all the while. Draco nodded, shooting a look at Hermione who's eyes overflowed with tears and she laughed.

"Draco, are you sure?" he nodded.

"And i have an idea to make this.. More believable, i guess?" She waited. "I was thinking, we could invite the hag here, let her see our life together and take a few pictures. If there's nothing we're hiding she won't write about it, right?" Hermione nodded, standing up.

"Let's do it. I'm contacting Harry and tell him what's going on, and then we'll take it from there." Draco came to here, hugging her with one arm and holding Rose in the other. He kissed her forehead.

"Great. Let's do it, wifie." Hermione smakced his arm and laughed.

"Let's do it, hubby." She furrowed her brows.

"What?" He asked and let her go, bobbing a happy Rose up and down.

"We need rings. They are never going to believe it without them." He nodded.

"Okay, on our way to Wizarding Playland we'll get some, okay?" She nodded.

"Rose, love, go and get one toy from the box. We'll go to Playland soon, okay?" Rose laughed and as soon as her little feet touched the ground she raced off into her rom, rumaging through her toyboxes.

"Thank you for being so sane with all this." Hermione said, hugging him properly. He was startled but hugged her back quickly, dwelling in the vanillascent in her hair.

"It's okay. I'm used to people talking about me."

Hermioen smiled, resting her nose in the crook of his neck, breathing in the scent of him.

"But.. We can't afford this. The Playland thing." she sighed. Draco chuckled.

"Hermione, i came next to you in classes. Do you really think i haven't made a name of myself? I'm clever, you know." She laughed.

"What do you do, like really? I know you have a practice here, but you can't make that much by only that?" She asked, moving away from him when she realized how close they had been. a flicker of dissapointment crossed his features, but he quickly composed himself.

"Well, no.. But i have some investments around the town, and that gives me a lot." She nodded.

"Mummy, i'm ready!" Rose came running to them, dragging a doll after her. Hermione smiled and bend down to her daughter.

"Then we better get going, right? Grab your jacket, sweetheart." Rose nodded and ran to the hall.

Hermione looked at Draco.

"let's do this, Honeeeey!" She said and Draco chuckled.


	12. Playing House

**Hi guys! Thank you for the reviews, and my god, so many people are reading this!I really hope you are enjoying the story.**  
><strong>Again, please come with ideas because i could really use them - even if you think it's crazy :)<strong>

**Love you!**

**Disclaimer: All to J.K Rowling**

* * *

><p>Hermione and Draco chose not to tell Rose about their agreement. They couldn't figure out how to tell a three-year-old that her mother and father were pretending to be in love, so they decided that it would be best to leave her out of it.<p>

Draco had decided that the best way to travel to Playland were by muggle-means, and now they sat quietly in his car.

"Draco?" He hummed an answer, focused on the road ahead of him. Hermione noticed his eyelashes, and wondered how they could be so long without getting tangled into each other every time he blinked.

"I was wondering… Why are we doing this? I mean, wouldn't it have been easier to just… Tell the truth?" Draco glanced at her.

"Haven't we discussed this twice already?" He smirked.  
>"Hermione, they would never have left us alone if we told them it wasn't true. You know Rita." Hermione nodded and looked at the backseat where Rose were sitting in her seat, playing with her doll and speaking a made-up language. She smiled.<p>

"Besides, it's too late now, you already wrote Potter and She-Weasley." Hermione frowned.

"Their names are Harry and Ginny! You need to stop with the name-calling, you dimwit." He chuckled and moved a hand to her neck, nuzzling it softly while she fumed.

"I don't mean it, Hermione, you know that. But you did write them, so it's too late to change anything about this. We'll give it a few weeks, and then they'll be done. I promise." She nodded, still fuming and thought back. Just before they left, Draco had taken Rose outside, playing with her, while Hermione wrote her letter to Harry.

_"Harry.  
>I know I haven't answered, but this is urgent. Well, more of a situation… Okay, you have most likely read the papers, and seen the picture of me and Draco.<br>I won't go into details, but for now, all you need to know is that Rose is our daughter. I'll explain when I see you again.  
>Anyway, see, I only lived here because of Ron, and Rita Skeeter have been twisting it around. We are NOT married, but you know her. She won't leave us of we tell her we aren't.<br>So, Draco and I decided we'll keep up the pretense; mostly for Rose's sake, but also because we refuse to have reporters ruining her life._

_I beg of you, don't be mad – it's only for a while.  
>I have one request, Harry, and this is it: Tell the papers that we had a quiet wedding, simple, with only you and Ginny involved. We are happy, and we'll write to the Prophet and tell them ourselves. But for now, please, play along. I'm begging you.<em>

_With love  
>Hermione" <em>

"I know I did, but it seems so wrong to be lying about it. I want to get married, truly married, not this fake thing." Draco raised an eyebrow in her direction, and she realized what she had just said.

"Oh god, no, I didn't mean… Uhm, I'm sure you'd be a good husband to whoever you marry, but.."

"Hermione, it's fine. I know what you meant." He chuckled, and turned left, parking outside a small shop in the middle of nowhere. She looked at him.  
>"Rings, Hermione, rings?" She blushed.<br>"Right." Hermione got out and grabbed her daughter by the hand.

As they stepped inside, Hermione was overwhelmed. It looked small and shabby from the outside, but the inside were pearly white marble, glass and beauty everywhere she looked. Rose looked around, squeezing Hermione's hand, dumbfounded and speechless.

"So, this is your choice. I'll choose after what you take."Draco said. Hermione nodded and looked at her daughter, bending down to her level.

"Rose, darling, you want to help mummy finding a pretty ring?" Rose smiled and nodded, leading Hermione into the center of the shop, looking at the showcase there.  
>"May I be of assistance?" A pleasant voice came from Hermione's right side, and she turned to see a beautiful Italian woman smiling at her.<p>

"Yes, we're looking for wedding rings." Rose looked at her mother. "I'll tell you all about it later, love."

"I helping Mummy." Rose beamed. The woman laughed.  
>"Wonderful! I'm Miara, but you can call me Mia. Do you want to help me, little one?" Rose nodded and Miara took a bix of silverrings out.<p>

"Okay, this is the last box I have." Miara sighed. Hermione had been very picky, but she couldn't measure up to her daughter, who had simply refused every ring they had seen so far. Rose looked at them and smiled.

"This one!" She pointed at a small silver ring, a finecut stone in the middle. Hermione loved it the second she saw it; it was simple, but elegant at the same time. Draco, who had been sulking in the corner, came to them.

"You actually found one?" He smirked. Hermione nodded.

"I'll take the ring that matches." He told Miara, who nodded and left to find it. Draco and Hermione looked at each other.

"Mummy, you marry?" Rose asked, and Hermione looked down to her daughter.

"Yes, sweetheart." She looked back at Draco, who smiled broadly and twisted his arm around her waist.

"If it's okay with you, of course." Draco said to Rose, who instantly nodded. The two adults laughed as Miara returned with a ring, a bit wider than Hermione's for Draco.

"Here you go!" Draco slid it on his finger and looked closely.  
>"Blimey, who would have thought I'd be married, huh?" He winked at Hermione who blushed and punched him lightly on his arm.<p>

"Shush! Let's go to playland, yeah?" Rose jumped up and down while Draco paid, and they left the store hand in hand.

Rose had enjoyed her day at Play Land, running around to the different rollercoasters, dragging a green-looking Draco around. When Hermione had asked him, he simply stated "he didn't like fast things up in the air.", making Hermione giggle.

As they returned to their home, three owls were sitting on the mailbox, waiting for them to take their letters.

"Rose, go inside, we just need to get the mail, okay?" Rose nodded, and ran into the house, her doll and a cottoncandy trailing after her. They relieved the owls from their duty, and quickly got into the house. Two of the letters were to Hermione, while one of them was for Draco.

"I'll be in my room reading these." He said, and quickly left the two girls in the living room.

_"Draco.  
>I would have expected you to tell me you had gotten married. No less to Hermione Granger.<br>What on EARTH did you expect? I wouldn't figure it out? We get the Prophet, you know.  
>Blaise sends his regards and ask you to tell him all about this in a letter. <em>

_I really do hope you two are happy. I hadn't seen it coming, but I guess that she makes you happy, and what more can I ask for?  
>But know this, the moment I get home, I want to meet her!<br>We haven't found your father yet – but we're getting closer. His trail is getting stronger, so hopefully we'll find him soon. _

_I love you, Draco, I do. _

_Mother"_

Draco let go of the letter. It was one thing his mother knew about it, and Blaise too, but the fact that they were getting closer to his father made him anxious. He hadn't expected them to actually find him, and he was worried; if his father found out that he had a child with Hermione, he would surely kill all of them.

He groaned and laid down on his bed, his arms covering his face.

"Draco?" Hermione's tender voice reached him, and he felt a shift in the weight on the bed.  
>"Hmm?" He heard her sniffing.<p>

"I put Rose to bed. Listen to what Harry and Ginny wrote me."

_"Dear Hermione._

_I have no idea what to say, and neither does Ginny.  
>We thought that you hated him! Besides, you didn't want to get married, that's what you told Ron!<br>I don't know what to say. This is… I'll do what you told me to do, but I cannot promise anything more._

_Harry"_

"So?" Hermione glared.

"So, Harry is angry! I knew it would happen, but… Oh my, I didn't want it…"  
>"What about the second letter?" He asked, scooting closer to his pretend-wife.<p>

_"Hermione._

_I need information, STAT. I need to know everything!_

_Ginny"_

Draco laughed.  
>"All she wants is to know how well I shag?" Hermione glared again.<p>

"Most likely. But I'm still worried, Draco!" She threw her hands up and as they fell, her body fell down too, next to Draco.  
>"Hermione, it'll work out fine." He wrapped his arms around Hermione, and she snuggled closer to him, sighing deeply.<p>

He held her, and that was the way they fell asleep.


	13. HELLO

Hi everyone!

I would just like to say, because of the recent reviews that i am in fact from Denmark, and english isn't my motherlanguage, so if you feel like the spelling is odd and such, then please keep in mind i'm not truly great at this.

however i would love for someone to correct it; proofread it as one would say. Just in case anybody wants to, message me privately.

And lastly, i know that the latest chapter didn't fall to well with you all. I'm sorry, but i write my story in this way because i ahve NO idea how i'm going to write it... So, that's all from me :)


	14. Hard ways to live by

**Hello darlings!**

**So I got a beta-reader (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Seiftis-forevs-47), so hopefully it'll be easier for more of you to read this story through.**

**Once again, thank you all for reviews, and I really hope you will enjoy it until the end. (and please, do review again and again; it makes me happy!**

**Disclaimer: All belongs to J.K Rowling, and I cannot thank her enough for write this amazing piece of work!**

Hard ways to live by

Draco had more than once, caught himself staring at Hermione. The way she smiled when she played with Rose, the way her hair fell down in ringlets on her shoulders and mostly the way her eyes shone whenever she looked at him. He had been determined to keep it family-friendly with her, and he had soon realized how hard it would prove to be.

"Hermione?" She shot him a look and hummed an answer, looking down into her book again. Draco sighed and sat down on the armrest of the couch she sat on.

"I was wondering… Should we, you know, do something?" She raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"Sure. What do you have in mind?" He shrugged. "Maybe dinner?" She placed her book carefully on the table again, looking at him long after.

"Okay… Why? Not that I mind it, but I was merely wondering why on earth would you want to do that?" She groaned as she stood up – her ribs still not quite healed – and placed her hands on her hips, peeking over her shoulder to their daughter, who was playing with her new doll house.

"I don't know. I'm hungry. And we don't have too much alone time any more, I mean." He hesitated. "Plus, I would… I mean, I want to go out. On a real date." Hermione smiled.

"We can do that. I would like it very much." He smiled back at her. She turned and walked to her daughter.

"Sweetie? Do you want to play with Lisa today?" Rose stared at her mother.

"Why?" She asked. Hermione sighed.

"Because Draco and I have to do some grown-up-things." Rose nodded. "Okay." She turned back to her doll house, and Hermione turned to Draco again. "Do you want to call Lisa, then?"

He grinned. "I already did. She's bringing her boyfriend, though." Hermione furrowed her brows, and Draco couldn't help but smile at her expression.

"Her boyfriend? I've never heard of him." She said, looking intently at Draco.

"Yeah, I know. It's new, but pretty serious from what I gather. He's nice, though – his name is Fabian."

Hermione considered. "Do you think it would be better if we…"

Draco cut her off. "No, Hermione, it's settled. I promise, it's going to be fine." He hugged her, and she snaked her arms around him, breathing in his perfume (Sounds effeminate {female} would you rather aftershave or deodorant these sound more masculine {male} just saying).

"Fine. When are they going to be here?" She asked, voice muffled against his shirt.

"In fifteen minutes." She nodded against him, her hair tickling his chin.

Precisely fifteen minutes later, Lisa and Fabian arrived. Lisa immediately hugged Hermione and introduced her to her boyfriend with a smile.

"Hermione, this is Fabian Dolché. My boyfriend." Hermione smiled at the man and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Fabian." Hermione couldn't shake the feeling of something being wrong about him, but she dismissed it as a general feeling of uncertainty towards a new person to watch her daughter. She felt like she had met him before; the searching, blue eyes seemed like something she wouldn't have forgotten. But he was tall, brown haired and had a slight similarity to Justin Finch-Fletchly from the Ravenclaw-house from their Hogwarts days. She shook her head slightly to rid herself of the thoughts.

"Rose? Would you come here for a second?" Rose looked up from her doll house, now looking like the inside of their house – dolls matching, expect for one, little doll – another baby. She stood up and walked to her mother, who took her in her arms.

"Fabian, this is Rose. Rose, this is Fabian, Lisa's friend. He's going to be here too today." Rose smiled sweetly at the man.

"Hello, Rose, nice to meet you." He shook her tiny hand, and she giggled.

"Hi, Fabi." She yawned.

"Okay, Lisa, Rose needs to nap soon, but I need to change first. When we are gone, you can tuck her in, okay?" Lisa nodded.

"Hermione? Why didn't you tell me you guys had got married?" She sounded disappointed.

Hermione sighed and laid a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'll explain it all when we get back."

Draco emerged from the kitchen, already dressed. "Hermione, dear, we need to go, or we'll miss our reservations."

Hermione nodded. "I just need to change." She pecked his cheek, earning a giggle from both Rose and Lisa, and a surprised look from Draco.

She couldn't decide what to wear; she had no idea where they were going, nor how on earth she should dress. She finally decided on a green dress hugging her curves with a groan, and sat down at her vanity to apply a light touch of make-up and put her wild curls in a bun. She nodded to herself while thoughts ran through her head, and she finally decided it was enough – she and Draco were only friends, so why should she dress up too nicely? Although she rather wanted to do so, she was sure Draco wouldn't even notice. She quickly pulled a pair of black high heels out from under her bed, and walked to the living room again, where laughter was emitting from.

"I'm ready." She said quietly. Draco smiled at her.

"Let's go then." Hermione nodded, walking to her daughter.

"Rose, be nice. Lisa will put you in bed soon, okay?" She kissed the top of her head, and turned to Lisa. "Remember, no sweets before bed – and no matter what, do not give her anything coated in sugar. She'll never fall asleep if she gets that."

Lisa nodded and laughed. "Relax, Hermione, I know what I'm doing."

Hermione laughed and turned to Fabian, still on edge with him. "Thank you for helping Lisa out. Rose can be a mouthful." He nodded.

Hermione took Draco's outstretched hand and left. Before closing the door, she called for Lisa.

"Call me if ANYTHING goes wrong, okay?" She searched her friends face. Lisa nodded, and waved as the pair left.

"Draco, where are we going?" Draco shushed her as they drove down the road. Hermione huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I hate surprises." She murmured.

Draco chuckled. "I know." He stated. They drove in silence for some time, and finally reached a small inn at the breaches of a forest. "Here we are then." Draco said, suddenly feeling nervous – quite unlikely for him. He groaned at himself, cursing himself for getting nervous. It was only a friendly date, and it's only Hermione, he told himself, but that merely stirred the butterflies in his stomach even more.

He helped her out from the car, and she let her hand rest in his as they entered the inn. Hermione gasped.

There were no people inside; a single table with two candles stood in the middle of the room, a soft tune flowed out from the speakers around the inn. Everything was perfect. She smiled at Draco who smirked and led her to a chair.

A waiter came from the corner of the inn, a small smile on his face.

"I'm Marty, and I'll be your waiter for the evening. Can I get you anything to drink?" He asked as he placed their menus in front of them. Hermione thought for a bit.

"An apple martini?" She asked hesitantly.

He nodded and turned to Draco. "And you, sir?"

Draco thought for a moment. "A glass of red wine would be nice. It doesn't matter which one." He ended and looked at Hermione. She smiled at him, a faint blush colouring her cheeks.

"Thank you, by the way." He looked at her quizzically. "For this, I mean. I haven't been on a date in such a long time, so thank you."

He smiled. "Not a problem."

Hermione pondered for a minute when Marty came back with their drinks and quickly left again.

"Draco, can I ask you something?" He nodded, taking a sip of his wine. "Why are you doing this? I mean, both the dinner and me and Rose staying at your place… I just do not (can be changed to don't if you want to) quite understand why." He blushed, which he hoped Hermione didn't notice; she did notice though and smiled. "Just tell me." She enquired.

He sighed and placed his glass on the table. "Honestly?" He chuckled. "Well, I may have been a spoiled, annoying git when I was younger, but it's changed. See, the… uhm, night we made Rose, to put it nicely, I realized something. I realized I could do so much more with my life, you know? I never really considered anything but Voldemort and my Father and their wishes for me. Or orders, would be a better word to use. And I just finally saw my future without Voldemort or my father, you know?" He took a sip again. "And when I saw you again… It was all coming back. I acted like a prick, and it was simply because of my memories. That day, in the Manor where you got caught? I remembered that very vividly. And it came back. Your screams and everything. And I just decided to help you. Because you looked just about as broken as you did then."

Hermione stared at him.

"What?" He asked after a minute.

"I didn't know I meant so much." She shrugged.

"Hermione, you mean so, so much. I won't try to tell you that you redeemed me, because that was my own doing, but you helped me along the way. I may still be a self-centered prat with an ego larger than life, but I can fit you into my life as well. Plus it was getting lonely." She laughed and leaned over the table to hug him.

He looked dumbfounded at her. "What was that for!?" He asked.

"For being you." She simply said as Marty came back. They ordered their food and sat back quietly while they waited.

"Why did you say yes?" He asked her.

She pondered for a bit. "I wanted to be with you."

They smiled at each other.


	15. The note

Hey darlings! IM SORRY I HAVENT UPDATED OMG I FEEL LIKE A DOUCHE! Homework and exams have taken over my life. I hope you enjoy this, and please, once again, reviewwww! (and yet again, a huge thanks to my lovely beta!) Disclaimer: All belongs to J.K. Rowling!

Draco and Hermione had a nice, quiet evening. Hermione had soon realized that Draco had left all his boyish arrogance behind him, becoming a charming young man. Hermione had, in Draco's eyes, not changed a bit – still a bookworm and she often sounded like she had swallowed more than one book when she talked. But she had changed something, he noticed – she smiled a lot and her laughter sounded like bells in his ears; and he suddenly found himself wanting and wishing that he could take her hand.

"Draco? Are you okay?" Hermione asked, cocking her head to the left. Draco shook his head, realized all too late that he had been staring at her, not really hearing what she was saying.

"Yeah, I'm so sorry. Dozed off, I guess." Hermione snickered. He smiled at her, and he could almost touch her hand. He reached out, but she drew back, not realizing what he was trying to do. Suddenly her eyes looked worried, and she quickly bent down to her purse, getting her cellphone up.

"It's weird… They haven't called once." She stared at her phone, as if she could make it ring.  
>He took her hand, finally, and felt his entire body tingle with electricity as her warmth travelled up in his hand.<p>

"Hermione, I promise you, they are okay. Would you trust me?" He said, trying to ignore his own feelings of worry.

She nodded and gazed into his eyes, smiling slightly. "You are beautiful." He said, caressing her hand with his thumb. "You really are, Hermione." She blushed. "Thank you, Draco."

They stared at each other for the longest time, finally letting themselves feel what they had been trying so hard not to.  
>Draco opened his mouth and started saying something when the door slammed open, and a frantic voice called for them.<p>

"What is going on?" He murmured as Hermione drew back to look at the man in the door.

"Harry, is that you!?" She shrieked and quickly left her chair to hug her former best friend. Draco grumbled and followed her – of course, wonderboy was to barge in the minute everything was finally going right. The-Boy-Who-Disturbed.

"Hermione, listen to me." She let go of him, and looked at him, worry colouring her face. Draco came to them and wrapped his arm around Hermione. Harry looked appalled by the action, and Draco couldn't help himself – he kissed her on the nose, and heard a retching sound coming from the right.

"Oh, Harry, stop that. Aren't we over old feuds?" She asked, her hands on her hips; a dangerous sign from Hermione. Harry nodded.

"Hermione, Malfoy, listen to me." He walked to a chair and sat down. He looked like he had been on the road for days – his hair was flattened against his head, black bags due to lack of sleep hung lowly under his eyes and his robes were tussled.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione knelt in front of him, looking like a worried mother. Draco smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, Potter, what's going on?" Harry looked at them.

"Ron is missing. As in, he left the Burrow three weeks ago, murmuring something about getting something back, and he disappeared. We cannot find him, no matter how hard we try. It's like he disappeared from the surface of the earth."

Hermione clasped a hand over her mouth, whimpering. Harry looked at her, worry and pain written clearly over his face. Draco's hand was suddenly feeling heavier.

"And while we were looking, your newspaper-thing came up. I was afraid he might do something stupid if he saw it." He drew a deep breath. "And he did. I realized all too late what he meant about getting something back. And as I looked around my house, I couldn't find a single one of my emergency-poly-juice-potions."  
>Hermione whimpered and fell against Draco who still hadn't understood.<p>

"Potter, what do you mean?" He sneered, worry and angst taking over his body. Harry sighed.

"Malfoy, I dislike you, but I couldn't… " tears were pooling in Harry's green eyes. "I went to Lavender's house first. She told me he had been sent away for a business-meeting. He had left not two weeks ago, she said, telling her he would be home by the end of the month with a surprise for her. She had let him go." Harry looked at Draco now. "I knew he wasn't on a business-trip. Trust me, I would know, I call them. " He sighed deeply. "I thought I'd go to your house, to warn you about this… And, oh, Hermione I'm so sorry."

Hermione collapsed. Draco looked at Harry. "What do you mean, Potter?" His grip on Hermione's shoulder tightened as she shook with sobs.

"Malfoy… Rose has disappeared. It was complete havoc. And… There were bodies. One body, to be exact. And a note." Hermione howled, hiding herself in her arms. Draco took the note automatically, dreading the outcome.

_Hermione. _

_Now that I have your attention, I'll say something.  
>I know how much you enjoyed what I have done to you.<br>I hope that you'll see reason, and become mine again. Lavender is in on it, she would love having you in the house. Hermione, I think I have removed any obstacles, your "friend" is gone, I have your daughter and Malfoy?  
>Malfoy will do nothing. If you want your daughter back, whole and normal, bring yourself to me. I promise, I will kill her if you don't show up in two days. I cannot say where I am, but I'm sure you'll figure it out. <em>

_Oh, and this is for Malfoy: Are you happy? If so, don't count on being so for long. Actually, don't count on being anymore. I will find you and skin you, because you have poisoned Hermione's mind. You are not good for her. _

_Well, then Hermione. What's it going to be? Do you love your daughter?_

_Ron _

Draco curled the note in his hand, feeling the wet texture, not really wanting to realize why it was wet.  
>He breathed deeply.<p>

"Malfoy… I know she was a friend of yours…"

"Shut up, Potter, just… Shut up." Draco shot back, hauling Hermione to her feet again.

"Hermione, please, tell me what I can do. I don't know anymore. What should I do?" He asked her, her head shaking.

"I don't know, Draco, I don't know." They stood like that, hugging each other for a while, Harry the odd one out. Suddenly they heard a familiar click, and turned just in time to see a photographer wave and smile before he disappeared. Hermione sighed.

"Can we go home… Please, Draco, please, let us go home." She pleaded.

Draco turned to Harry. "Are there still people in the house?" Harry searched Draco's face. "Potter, I am begging you, we want to go home." Draco suddenly lost his posture and curled himself around Hermione and cried.

Harry looked stricken at the couple in front of him. "Yes, there is, in the main house. You can't go in there yet – we need to search the place…" Harry said, his eyes firmly looking at the ground. Draco nodded.

"We'll go to the guest-house, okay Hermione?" She nodded. Draco looked at Harry.

"Do you have one of those phony-things?" Harry nodded. "Give it here." Harry silently passed the phone to Draco.

"Marian, it's me. Listen, I won't be at work for the next few weeks. I'm taking time off. Can you manage without me?" Draco looked around the room. "Good. Yes, bye." He gave the phone back to Harry. "Thank you, Harry." He said, still holding on to Hermione. Harry nodded.

"You two should get going, okay?" Harry said, resting a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Owl me at any time." Hermione nodded and turned to Draco. "Let's go." She whispered and hugged him tightly.

Draco nodded curtly to Harry and held Hermione closer. They apparated straight into the guest house, not wanting to see the damage at the main house.

Hermione couldn't let go of Draco, and Draco refused to let go of her, so they stood their ground, simply hugging for a while. "Draco?" Hermione whispered, muffled against his shirt. "Yes?" He answered. "I need you. Now." She simply said and drew back to look into his eyes.

His heart lurched. Even in this state she was in, she was heavenly. He nodded, and she smiled the smallest smile, before he descended his lips upon hers. It was bliss. He felt a surge of something going through him, and he held her closer. She moaned into his mouth, granted his tongue entrance to her mouth, and she grasped the back of his shirt closer, drawing him in. He groaned as her small hand grazed his neck, and she smiled against his lips. He couldn't stand it, he lifted her up, she wrapped her legs around him and he carried her to the bedroom closest to them. The tumbled down on the bed, a mixture of groans, moans and clothes being ripped filling the air. (

**WARNING FOR YOU READERS WHO DO NOT WANT TO READ THIS: THIS IS A SEXSCENE AND PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TIL YOU SEE THIS KIND OF TEXT AGAIN TO BE SAFE FROM IT**) Draco was in heaven; his hands were roaming Hermione's body, still dressed in something that once was a dress.  
>Hermione's small hands travelled everywhere; making him groan when she gingerly touched some areas he didn't even know he would be turned on by.<br>"Hermione.." He moaned as her hand slid over the front of his pants. She groaned and pulled him down, making their lips bruise against each other.  
>Draco's hands moved on their own – suddenly, her dress was off, leaving her in her red bra and panties. "Oh god." He simply said and suddenly everything was going fast.<p>

His pants disappeared from him, and Hermione's hand moved to the front of his boxers, emitting a groan from him. She smiled and his hand found her breast, fondling it, while his other hand travelled downwards. She mewled as his fingers touched her and she pushed her pelvis up against him and he pressed down on her, letting himself touch her.  
>He groaned as her fingers slipped under the waistband of his boxers, and she smiled against his lips while she pushed his boxers down. He groaned again, silently cursing himself for doing this with her in such a state, but his thoughts were broken as her hand fondled him.<br>She moaned and he pushed his fingers in her, smiling slightly as he realized how wet she was for him. "You ready?" He asked as he slipped his fingers from her, licking them off and emitting a moan as she watched.  
>She nodded and bit her lip, making him even harder. He growled and pushed into her without a second thought – her throaty moan almost made him cum, but he managed to stay still, letting her get used to him. Hermione moaned and mewled and pushed up against him – he took it as a yes to start moving, so he did.<p>

She felt amazing surrounding him, her velvet touch sliding gently against him, and he moaned as she moved her hands to his back, scratching his back. The two of them moved as if they were doing a coordinated dance, and finally, as Hermione almost screamed his name, pulsing around him, he let go. They stayed locked together for a long time.

**(DONE WITH THE SCENE)**

Hermione got dressed in silence. She had enjoyed it, but she had wanted it for all the wrong reasons. And suddenly, she could feel the tears, rising again in the corners of her eyes, and she sobbed once and fell to the ground.  
>Draco looked alarmed at her.<p>

"Hermione? We will find her. I can promise you that." He sat down next to her, taking her in his arms. She only sobbed in response.  
>"Draco, I don't think you understand how… horrible Ron can be when he's angry. I can't…" She sobbed again.<p>

Draco sniffed, willing himself to not cry – to be strong for the both of them.

"We will figure it out, I promise." She nodded weakly into his chest. He sighed. "Come on, let's go and find out what they have figured out already."

He stood up, hauling Hermione with him, and they walked out of the bedroom together.  
>Harry was sitting with an unknown auror on their couch. Hermione coughed lightly, and the two turned to them.<p>

"So, Hermione, this is what we can do. You are not to go anywhere before we find your daughter."  
>Hermione tried to interrupt, but Harry merely raised his hand to make her wait.<p>

"We know that you want to look, and we know that you've read the letter – but you need to stay here. We can't do our job with you disturbing it." She nodded. Harry smiled.

"Good. Now, Malfoy, I need your help, as much as I dislike you." Draco nodded. "How? What can I do?" Harry looked at him. "Come with me." Draco let go of Hermione's hand and left with Harry.


	16. The House

**AN: So, my dear readers! I am seriously stunned by the amount of people reading this – thank you, thank you, thank you! Again, a shout-out to my fantastic beat-reader, thank you for doing this for me. **

**Next chapter! The plot thickens, as people like to say. I hope you'll like this chapter. Again, review and stuff, because I love hearing your inputs! :D KISSES!**

Draco followed Harry into the small library and sat down on the fluffy chair in the corner – Harry stood his ground. Draco looked at him, raising a perfect eyebrow, waiting for Harry to start talking. "Listen, Malfoy, I dislike you, and I'm pretty sure that's not going to change. I know Hermione likes you," Draco huffed, "but it won't change the way I feel about you." Harry continued. "Under all circumstances, I would like to know whatever you can tell me about this. Everything."

Draco nodded and rubbed his eyes. "Potty, I think you know more than I do."

Harry sighed. "Just… Tell me everything." Draco leaned back, and started telling. "I met her at the inn just outside of the city – she was crying and had a baby with her. My good heart couldn't bear it," Harry snickered lightly at Draco's words, "so I asked if she needed a place to stay. She agreed and came here. We had a few days of going back and forth, and I then found out Rose is my daughter, the Weasel came over, did unimaginable things to her and left again. I patched her up, we put it in the back of our heads, went to lunch, a reporter thought we had gotten married, we decided it was best to just play along, and on our first real date, our daughter was taken from us. What more do you need to know?" Draco shrugged and felt his eyes prickle as tears started to well up in his eyes.

Harry looked at him. "What happened to you?" He asked, sitting down in the chair next to Draco shocked.

Draco shrugged again. "I mended my ways, I guess. My mother is out, looking for my father – which I hope is fruitless – and I… wanted to make things right."

Harry looked at Draco. "I'm sorry for your loss. She was a friend of yours, right?" Draco nodded, drawing a sharp breath in. "I'm sorry I didn't know how much Ron could destroy. We'll get Rose back, I promise." Harry reached over and patted Draco's shoulder.

"How can you know? She could be dead." Draco's breath hitched and suddenly his tears ran free.

Harry looked stunned at the sight before him, but he collected himself, and shook Draco's shoulder. "She isn't. Ron may be cruel, but he could never do that to anyone." Draco sobbed. "Tell me about the night Rose… Was conceived.." Harry stuttered. Draco looked up. "I do not want details, I just want to know how and why it happened. You two hated each other for a long time, remember?"

Draco smiled. "We had actually corresponded for a while. I wrote her three months prior to the Battle at Hogwarts, telling her I chose the wrong side. I don't know why I told her, but I couldn't think of anyone else I could trust. She answered me and told me that she believed me; we talked for a while, and well… When I saw her at Hogwarts again, I couldn't help myself. She couldn't either. So we did. It was nice, seeing some sort of light in all of the darkness and death surrounding us at that moment." Harry smiled. "What?" Draco enquired.

"She must have liked you. I mean, we were travelling the entire country, and I knew she was writing to someone – I thought it was Ginny or McGonagall, but it was you."

Draco smiled. "Please, promise me you'll find our daughter. She's the only good thing I've ever done in my life."

Harry nodded. "I will." The two men stood up and shook hands, leaving the library.

As they returned, Hermione sat quietly on the couch, a glass of wine in her trembling hands. She looked at Draco and then Harry, who both smiled reassuring smiles at her. She smiled back weakly. "Thank you, Harry."

He nodded at her. "I have to go, we need to start the search-party." Draco and Hermione nodded, and Harry left without another word.

Draco and Hermione sat in silence for a good while, Hermione's wine glass getting emptier by the minute. "For Merlins sake, this is ridiculous." She threw her arms up, a faint red colouring her cheeks.

"What is?" Draco asked, confusion colouring his words.

"THIS, Draco. Us, just sitting here, doing nothing, while our daughter might be… I don't even know what." She hiccupped. Draco chuckled at the witch in front of him.

"Hermione, there's nothing we can do – honestly, I think Harry is our best shot at this." She glared at him. He glared back.

"Draco, I know he is, but honestly, don't you think we should be looking as well?"

He shook his head. "As much as I hate being rational, I have to disagree. We can't do anything, because if we try, we're going to get hurt." She huffed and drank the last sip of her wine. He bent down to her. "Hermione, it's going to be okay. Just… Give it a rest with the wine, okay?"

She nodded and handed her glass to him. "I want to see the main-house." She said after a while.

He looked at her, searching her eyes for any trigger to tell him she didn't mean it. All he saw was chocolate, warm and lovely, and a glowing light, dim as an ember, in the very back of her eyes. "Why?" He sat down on the armrest and she leaned against him.

"I need to see… If we can see anything." She said in a small voice.

Draco drew a deep breath. "You need to be sure about this."

She nodded. "I am."

They stood outside the front door, looking at it as if it was a great enemy, trying to hurt them. Hermione took the first step towards the door, but Draco pulled her back.  
>"Are you sure?" She nodded. He nodded back at her and grabbed her hand, clenching it hard and she drew a deep breath and then stepped inside the house.<p>

She gasped, and he bit down hard on his lip as they took in their surroundings. The living room, hallway and what they could see of the kitchen, had been trashed completely. Couches, chairs and tables had been strewn across the room, tipped over and ripped apart – pieces of glass laid on the floor, pictures inside the frames torn, happy smiles on the faces looking eerie and wrong. The fireplace had all but fallen in, bricks lay on the floor, covered in ashes and green powder strewn everywhere – apparently, someone had tried to floo away and failed. The cream carpet in the hallway had been torn to pieces, shards of the mirror to their right glittering in the light streaming from the open door behind them.  
>"Oh god." Hermione gasped, clutching Draco's hand as if it was a life raft in upsetting waters.<p>

Draco merely nodded, looking at his former home. He looked at Hermione, who only had eyes for one thing – in the left corner, right by one of the green chairs, a baby-carrier, deserted and eerie, sat still next to a puddle of blood. Draco clenched his jaw – he could all too well see the struggle his friend had put up.

Hermione sniffled, drawing her hand from his and wiping her face. Draco noticed the wetness on his cheeks and swiftly wiped the tears away – he wanted to look strong for her. They moved slowly through the house, afraid to disturb the ghosts that lingered in the walls, in the memories. The drawers in the kitchen had all been pulled out, two knifes covered in something neither of them wanted to look closer at.

"Hermione, can we just… leave, please? I can't stay here." Draco pleaded her, moving slowly backwards to the hall. She shook her head.  
>"I need to look at one last place. I promise, I'll be back." He stared at her. "It's okay, I can handle it alone."<p>

He couldn't believe her, but she didn't give him time to argue, she was already gone, leaving him in the mess that used to be his house. She moved silently through the rooms – some of them looked untouched, giving out an eerie silence, which made her shiver. She finally reached the room she wanted to go to; the library. She walked in. It looked untouched – the book she had been reading a few days earlier still on the table next to the creamy couch. She looked around. She had been sure that Ron would have left her a clue, just something to give her a hint as to where he was hiding. She stared around the room, disappointment obvious on her face. The disappointment quickly turned to curiosity and wonder; the book she had earlier believed to be one she had been reading, was not – it was Hogwarts, A History, and she hadn't read that one since her school days. She stepped up to it, the floorboards creaking underneath her feet, and picked it up. It had been placed open on a page in the middle section – the section with drawing of the castle. A blank page had hurriedly been pushed in between the drawings, and she carefully extracted it from the pages. A handwritten note – she almost sighed, looking at his horrid handwriting, a faint memory of their school days emerging.

_Hermione._

_Glad you found this – I knew you would, my dear. We think alike, and you know it. Lav wants you to come to her house – I'm sure you'll find some useful information there. I'm guessing Harry has become involved by now, and you might want to tell him his search to find me is fruitless. Hermione, I still love you, and I need you by me. You need me just as much, am I right? Rose is here. You know, she could have been cute, if she didn't cry all the time and didn't look like the slimy bastard. Maybe I'll change that. _

_Tut-tut, two days to go, I'm guessing. You are all too wary to go here the first day._

_I'll see you soon._

Hermione stood still, weighing the paper in her hand. She knew something was off with him – he may be cruel, but this wasn't like him. She wondered for a while, but heard the timid voice of Draco calling through the house for her. She sighed and stuffed the letter in her pocket, carefully making sure that not a piece of the paper stuck up. As she returned to him, he looked at her – her face had been drained of all colour, and her lips trembled.

She smiled at him. "I just needed to see the library. Sorry." She told him in a small voice. He nodded, not quite believing her, but he wouldn't press it further.

He took her hand, and they walked to the guest house again; but stopping as soon as they reached the front. Hermione nearly hissed. Rita Skeeter stood in front of the house, her banana-yellow jumpsuit clinging to her body, peering in through the windows.

Draco coughed lightly, and she turned around; a wide smile on her face and her green glasses glittering in the sunlight.  
>"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy! Why, hello!" She calmly said, as if they hadn't just caught her staring through their window.<p>

"Why are you here?" Draco rudely asked.

"Well, I came to take an interview, of course! But apparently, the main house is closed off, so…" She let the sentence hang in the air, hoping one of them would tell her why.

"We don't want to talk to you, sorry." Hermione said with fake kindness.

Skeeter grinned. "Oh, I think you do. I got an interesting letter today, amongst my various fan-letters. I think you'd like to read it and give me what I want afterwards." She reached into her purse, and drew out a piece of yellowing paper, handing it to the couple.

_Skeeter._

_I dislike you, but I like publicity. You like publicity, and dislike Hermione Granger. We match perfectly. Anyway, maybe you should visit the couple; because, I'm wondering, where is their daughter? I'm sure that they can tell you. Oh, and a little dirty secret from me – haven't you been wondering why they got married so soon, and how they even met? Let me tell you – Draco Malfoy is a slimy bastard with no limits whatsoever. But Hermione Granger? Her secrets would make your hair stand on edge._

Both of them looked up at Skeeter, who stood still, grinning at the couple. "Wow, that's really heartbreaking. Truly. Now you know everything!" Draco sneered, raising his eyebrows and Hermione giggled.

Skeeters smile faltered. "Where is your daughter?" She asked. The couple stared at her.

Hermione spoke first. "She's none of your business. Funny how that works out, right? Now, leave, before I call the aurors." Skeeter sneered and apparated on the spot.

Draco looked at Hermione. "Who on earth would write that to her?"

Hermione sighed. "The same person who sent me this." She said and handed him the note, which she had previously hidden from view in her pocket.


	17. Revelations

**A/N: Holy… I can't even express how happy****I****am with the positive responses****I****get on this story! I'm really stunned.  
>Thank you to you all, especially<strong>**those who have added this story to their favourites****and followed it – it's truly amazing.  
>A huge shout-out to you lovely people, and of course, my lovely and perfect beta! :D<strong>

**Please, review! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: All belongs to J.K Rowling, my queen – although, the plot is mine and mine alone.**

**On with the story!**

Draco looked at her, disbelief colouring his face – his grey eyes mirroring Hermione's fear.

"He did this?" She merely nodded. "But… Hermione, you're not going after him, are you?" She glared at him.

"Of course I'm not!" He sighed deeply, obviously relieved. "Alone." She finished her sentence.

He glared at her. "You are not going within five feet of him." He growled.

"What's it to you!? I'm just the mother of your child? And while I'm pleased that you took us under your wings, you don't get to decide how I do this! You are not my father, nor my husband, Draco!" She stared him down.

"Well, maybe I'm not, but I'm sure as hell not going to let you walk into a death-trap! I don't…" He didn't finish what he was going to say, as Hermione huffed and stalked away from him. He stood still, outside the house, staring at her shadow-like form, pacing through the house.

Hermione almost emitted steam, she was boiling with rage. How dare he? She knew that he loved Rose, but deep down, he was still a possessive brat, who deeply relied on his looks and stupid charm to get him through the day. She sighed, and placed her hands on her hips, as she heard the front door creak and then the floorboards.

"Hermione, I…" She held a hand up, not even looking at him.

"I don't want to hear it, Malfoy." He hissed at her use of his last name.

"Well, you have to." He growled.

"I'm guessing you aren't used to hearing no, but it's decided. NO." She looked at him, fiery rage running through her eyes. He stood still.

"You know, I'm sure you have a certain… way of thinking of me. I'm not the kid from school any more. I've changed." She glared, raising her eyebrow, about to retort him, when the door swung open, a distressed Harry followed swiftly. They both stared at him; he looked even worse than before, his hair tussled and dark circles underlining his eyes, making him look ten years older.

"Harry? What's happening? You found something?" Harry just stared, unable to catch his breath. Hermione rushed to his side, her maternal side emerging. "Harry, come on, you need to sit down. Here, sit!" She said, pushing him down on the couch next to her, he waved his hand as a gesture of thanks and collapsed completely inwards.

"Draco, I need you to help me, now." She rushed into the kitchen, Draco following her steps. "We need tea, firewhiskey and a blanket." He nodded.

"Bloody Saint Potter." He murmured.

"Didn't you tell me you weren't the git from school?" She sneered. He shrugged, and left to find the firewhiskey and a blanket.

"Harry, you need to drink this." She tried to coax some tea into her best friend, but he merely shook his head and looked at her, his eyes full of worry.

"You need to get Malfoy." He said slowly, as if the words pained him. She nodded, worry overtaking her and a numbness started to make its way upwards from her legs.

"Draco? Come here." He descended from the stairs, his eyes alert.

"Everything okay?" He simply asked and she shrugged in response.

"I don't know yet." She told him, her voice shaking as the fear finally overtook her. He rushed to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist. He kissed the top of her hair, leaving her burning(? From him kissing her head/hair, perhaps clarify it a bit).

"So, what's going on?" Draco demanded, his arm still around Hermione's waist, as he looked at Harry.

"We… Uhm, we went to find him. We were ambushed. Apparently, Ron has joined the dark side." Harry looked down at his feet.

"The dark side?" Hermione looked as if the words her friend had spoken didn't have a meaning. Draco sat still.

"Yeah. See, we thought all death eaters had been eliminated, or placed in Azkaban. But, as it seems, a few of their… Young… hadn't been captured yet. They have apparently started a new circle of death eaters, trying to redeem Voldemort's name and all for removing the impure from the wizarding world." He paused.

"We already found Theodore Nott, Millicent Bulstrode and a few others. As we found them, Theodore succumbed to Veteraserum and he told us some rather unsettling things." Hermione gasped as Draco growled, no words sufficient to cover their rage and horror. Harry only nodded, continuing his story, seeming as he couldn't stop again.

"He told us that they had been corresponding with a certain male from the Gryffindor house."

Draco opened his mouth. "Not all Gryffindors seem that brave." He said, but Harry silenced him.

"He told me that they had a plan. They had been recruiting people, fresh out of school for about a year now. They needed to have as many on board with them as they could. A lot had been wary of it, but have followed them, as they have promised riches and stuff, no one else could." He sighed deeply, staring at Hermione.

"Their plan has been, for a long time now, to find a way to break you, Hermione. If a part of the Golden Trio would be captured and killed at a public display, they were certain that I would try to rescue you. And then, they would kill me, making their reign finally happen. They were trying to outdo Voldemort, I guess."

Hermione gasped, Draco mumbled a seemingly huge amount of curses under his breath and Harry looked at them.

He smirked. "You got to give it to them, they have been clever. Honestly, they have been doing this for almost two years, right under our noses. Unfortunately, someone let it slip. But the only reason they have been able to keep it a secret, has been because of Ron's involvement. He has suggested places they could hide, which makes us believe that there is a large number of them we haven't caught yet. He also told them everything about you and I, our weaknesses and strengths. And they figured that the best way to hit you, was to remove you from your daughter." Silence ensued. Hermione couldn't grasp it, it all sounded ludicrous.

"Harry, are you sure they weren't lying?" He nodded. "Well… How long has Ron been involved? Are we sure he is? Can we know with certainty that he didn't just try to infiltrate them?" She grasped every tiny straw she could reach, hoping to Merlin that it wasn't true.

Harry looked at her, sadness filling his eyes. "I'm sorry, Hermione, I truly am. We found letters." He said with a clipped tone in his voice.

Draco's chest rumbled and he removed his arm from Hermione. "What letters?" He asked. Hermione whimpered at the loss of contact and he moved his hand to grasp hers.

"Letters explaining the plan. From the beginning." Harry said, looking down at his hands.

"Tell. Me." Draco hissed through his teeth.

"Ron had apparently left the side of lights after the war. Immediately after, actually. He sought out some of those he knew had been on the dark side, revealing his plan to them. He… Never did love you, Hermione, but pretended to, as to get in on you. He knew your weaknesses, but he wanted more than that. He wanted to break you completely." Harry looked guilty. "Lavender Brown has been in on it for a long time, too."

Hermione sat silently in her chair. Then, as if a button had been pushed, her eyes darkened and her hair looked electric. She stood up swiftly, Draco's hand dropping from hers and she hissed. "I'm going to kill him, Harry." She simply said, turning on her heel, and trying to leave the room, but Draco's arms had wrapped protectively around her waist again, pulling her back against him and towards the couches again.

Harry sat still, breathing heavily. "Trust me, you're not the only one, Hermione." He told her, as she huffed. "But we have to have a plan."

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT A PLAN, HARRY JAMES POTTER. MY DAUGHTER IS IN DANGER AND I'M NOT THERE TO HELP HER. YOU BETTER START TELLING ME WHERE, WHEN AND HOW RIGHT NOW, OR I SWEAR TO MERLIN, I'LL RIP YOUR EYES OUT OF THEIR SOCKETS, HARRY!" She panted. Harry and Draco looked stunned at her outburst, but as soon as the words had left her mouth, she collapsed down, falling into Draco, whimpering. "I just need her back, Harry." She murmured against Draco's chest. Harry nodded.

"I know. But we can't just barge into his house or any place we may think he's hiding. We need a plan."

"Fuck the plan Potter. We need our daughter." Draco said, hugging Hermione closer to him.

"I know. I'll contact you later, when I know what to do. We need to start somewhere."

"Potter, my friend and my daughter -" Harry cut him off.

"I know, Malfoy, I know. But have patience. I promise, before nightfall, I'll contact you two again." He stood up. "I'll see you later." He stalked out the door, leaving his tea untouched.

Draco and Hermione had been sitting still on the couch for almost an hour. Not a word had been spoken, as they were both trying to process what Harry had told them. Draco still had his arms draped over Hermione, who had been leaning slightly to Draco and finally falling completely against him. They had tried to talk, but had barely gotten a word out, before they stopped themselves again.

It seemed almost impossible that Ron could have done all this – both Draco and Hermione knew that Harry would never lie to them, but they simply, more Hermione than Draco, refused to believe it. After another hour had passed, Hermione finally spoke, her voice hoarse from the silence.

"What if… What if something has happened to her?" She said, twirling the ring Draco had given her around her finger.

"Don't say that." He said. She looked up at him, finally seeing him – his eyes glazed over and a few tears had already rolled down his cheeks.

"We need to face the facts, Draco. She might be hurt."

Draco nodded, clenching his teeth together. "I know. But I don't want to believe it." He said, and she nodded, understanding his pain.

She was about to say something to him, when the door was flung open yet again, and both their heads whipped around to face the stranger in the doorway.

Draco spoke first.

"Mother!?"


	18. Arrivals

**A/N: This is truly amazing. A big thank you to all of you – it keeps me writing whenever I read your reviews and just seeing how many is reading this story. It really means a lot to me, so thank you all, so much.  
>ENDLESS LOVE FOR YOU ALL!<strong>

**And again, as always, love and gratitude goes out to my beta. You have become my dear friend and I thank you with all that I have for helping me with this story.**

**Disclaimer: All belongs to J.K Rowling, although the story is mine.**

**LET'S GO ON WITH THE STORY**

Draco looked stunned at the woman in front of him. Hermione shrieked.

"Oh, relax you two." She said, annoyance apparent on her face.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked, rushing to her and hugging her.

Narcissa hugged him back, sighing deeply as she let him go to look at him. "You look, sorry for my language, horrid." She murmured to him.

He sighed. Of course, the first thing his mother noticed was his looks. She let him go and stepped closer to an obviously frightened Hermione.

"You must be Hermione. It's nice to meet you under… less uncomfortable circumstances." She said, guilt flashing across her features.

Hermione nodded. "Likewise Mrs. Malfoy." She said courtly, nodding her head towards the woman in front of her.

"Draco, perhaps a cup of tea? I've travelled a long way." She sat down with a huff, as Draco rolled his eyes and moved to the kitchen. Hermione sat down on the chair in front of the couch, where Narcissa sat down.

"What brings you here, Mrs. Malfoy?" Hermione asked.

"It's Narcissa, dear. And I heard what happened to you two." She stated, searching the house with her blue eyes.

"Oh." Hermione simply said.

Narcissa looked at her hauntingly. "I'm so sorry for this, Hermione. Honestly, I couldn't fathom anyone being so cruel." She said and gracefully accepted the cup of steaming tea that had appeared in front of her face. Draco sat down on the armrest of Hermione's chair.

"We couldn't either. We still can't." Hermione said, grateful for Draco's appearance – she wasn't entirely comfortable being alone with Narcissa quite yet.

Narcissa nodded. "I wanted to help, but Mr. Zabini asked me to stay for a few more days. We had a good lead on your Father." She said pointedly at Draco.

He huffed. "So you found him?"

She nodded. "We did. Not in the state we wanted to, but… Well, that's that." Her voice quivered.

"What do you mean, Mother?" Draco asked, annoyance seeping into his tone at his mother's unusual way of expressing herself.

"He's… Well, he's not amongst us any more, darling." She said, tears overflowing her eyes.

Draco immediately stood up and walked to his mother. "I'm sorry, Mother." He said, hugging her lightly.

"Yes, well, we had a hunch that it would happened." She said, waving her hand as if it didn't matter.

Hermione spoke up, seeing the fragile woman trying to brush it off. "I'm sorry, Narcissa. It must be horrible." She said in a low voice.

Narcissa peaked her head up, looking at Hermione. "No, darling, don't. I know you must be suffering greatly at the moment." Hermione sighed.

A mother knows a mother's thoughts.

After a few casual conversation topics, Hermione yawned. Draco shot a quick look at her and stood up from the chair he had been slouching in.

"Time for bed." He simply stated and Hermione shot him a pointed look, but fatigue overcame her and she nodded in agreement. She stood up next to Draco and turned to Narcissa.

"I hope you'll stay, until morning at least?" She said tiredly.

Narcissa smiled politely. "Of course, dear. I'll stay as long as you need me to."

Hermione smiled groggily and disappeared up the stairs with Draco.

Draco sat down on the bed beside Hermione's form.

"And you are sure it's okay for my mother to stay? I can tell her to leave, if that is what you wish." Hermione smiled.

"It's okay. She's sweet and it's nice to have some other female company around. Ginny is out searching with Harry, so not much contact from her."

Draco chuckled. "Okay. Sleep tight." He kissed her forehead as she snuggled further beneath the covers.

As he came back down the stairs, he saw an unusual sight. Harry Potter and Narcissa Malfoy talking. He cleared his throat, making them both look up. Harry stood up, coming to Draco and shaking his hand.

"Potter? Why are you here?"

"I promised to show up before nightfall, remember?"

Draco smiled. He had forgotten with his mother's arrival. "Yes, I remember. Did you find something?" Harry's face fell.

"Not really. I was just filling Narcissa in." He sat down again, Draco trailing his steps.

"Okay." Draco looke closer to Harry, who looked concerned and slightly guilty.  
>"Are you lying to me, Potter?" Harry's face flashed with guilt.<p>

He sighed deeply. "We caught Pansy." He said quietly.

Draco growled, his body suddenly feeling a whole lot warmer than before.

"It's nothing new. I mean, we had a hunch she would be involved. She's always hated Hermione, as I'm well aware you knew." Draco nodded stiffly. "Anyway, she didn't tell us much more than we already knew. Only a few details, actually." Draco lifted his eyebrows, waiting for Harry to continue. "We got information on their safe-zones." Harry said. Narcissa hissed, Draco growled and Harry sighed. "Yes, yes, I know, you want to kill them all. Problem being, the safe-zones have been scattered all around Great Britain and it's going to take a while to figure out where Ron is." He said. Draco scowled.

"Draco, dear, he's doing what he can." Narcissa scolded. Draco huffed again, placing himself more comfortably in his chair.

"At any rate, we'll look as hard as we can and as fast as we can." Harry said, standing up. He shook Draco's hand and turned to Narcissa.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Narcissa. I'm hoping you'll feel better soon." Narcissa smiled and stood up to hug the younger boy.

"Thank you, Harry." She answered and he nodded at her, leaving the house.

Silence ensued.

Narcissa spoke first. "I want to help find your daughter." She bluntly stated.

Draco snickered. "No way." He said, looking at his mother.

"She's my granddaughter. And I will ensure that she's safe." She said, a slight simmer of anger boiling in her tone.

Draco was flabbergasted. "Mother, I-"

"Don't even start on that one, Draco Lucius Malfoy." She interrupted. "I'm fairly competent with tracking, you know. Besides, I'm far more experienced with curses than you, as you might remember." She glared at him.

His memories of his childhood, where he often let snakes and other animals into the house, making his mother remove them again using various curses and spells to remove them, made him smirk.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

She smiled. "I'm very fond of those memories. I want to make sure I'll have more of those, but this time with my granddaughter." She said and Draco looked at her.

"Are you sure?" She nodded. He sighed deeply.

"Fine." She beamed at him. They stayed up for a while, talking about everything, but Narcissa's eyes started drooping and Draco quickly got her a blanket and a few pillows, telling her to go to bed. She merely nodded and laid down on the couch, and before instantly falling asleep, her voice rose to him.  
>"Draco, we do need to talk tomorrow. I have news."<p>

Draco sighed and was about to return to his bedroom, hoping to cuddle up against Hermione, when a timid knock sounded from the front door. He growled, fatigue overwhelming him, but he opened the door nonetheless.

He hissed loudly at the sight in front of him.

Lavender Brown, wet from the drizzling rain falling lightly from the sky, stood in front of him, a timid smile on her lips.

"Would it be awful to ask to come in?"


	19. always

**A/N: YOU GUYYYYSSSS!**

**I'm getting so much positive response and it seriously warms my heart. I'm so happy that you all like this story and I'm hoping I'll do it justice with your thoughts and ideas about this story.**

**Remember! You can always write to me in a PM and tell me an idea you've got, or some thoughts/corrections on the story.**

**LOVE YOU**

**(Please review)**

**Disclaimer: All belongs to J.K Rowling, though the storyline and plot is mine alone.  
>Enjoy!<strong>

Draco hissed. Lavender stood outside, a smirk placed on her thin lips and an eyebrow raised in his general direction.

"Well?" She demanded and Draco merely stared.

"Don't you dare take one more step in this direction." Draco growled, as Lavender tried to move closer within the house. She raised her hands in defeat.

"What if I have information for you?" She said. Draco glared back. He wouldn't even let her try.

"What if you wanted to kill Hermione? What if I ripped you apart?" He growled out from his teeth. She shook her head and, to his surprise and disgust, giggled.

"Oh, but sweetheart, have you started to care for the girl?" Lavender asked him, smiling in what she believed was a cute way. He raised his eyebrows.

"That's for me to know and you to never find out." She sighed.

"Well, I'll just deliver the message here, then. Apparently, common courtesy is not present here." She said and pulled a crumbled paper from her back pocket and handed it to Draco. He stared at her.

"Seriously? Not even a thank you?" She asked, placing her hand on her hip. He shuddered.

"You. Stole. My. Daughter." He said, hissing the words out. She laughed.

"No, but I knew it happened. Anyway, I'm sure you'll contact wonder-boy now, so I'll be off." She said, turning to leave his ground. He refused to let her go that easy and thankful for his wits in keeping his wand on him at every waking moment, he silently placed a non-apparating-spell across the boundaries. She turned on the spot, waving her hand in a cocky goodbye and spun on the spot; as soon as she opened her eyes she hissed.

"Really? You're going to do this?" She asked, sighing deeply. He glared at her.

"Fine. I'll just figure another way out."

"Don't you fucking dare, you ugly pug." Draco yelled at her as she tried to walk away. She turned, a crooked smile on her lips.

"And who are you to stop me?" Draco growled. This was the drop. He ran towards her, arms outstretched for her neck, wand forgotten – but he was blown back by a jet of blue light emitting from the doorway behind him. He looked behind himself and saw a ravenous Hermione standing there. He suddenly remembered why he had been somewhat afraid of her during their school years.

"Oh no, you don't!" She shrieked at Lavender and cast another jet of light after her; this time purple. Her hair swayed everywhere around her, and she looked murderous. Lavender backed up, teeth bared and her wand pulled.

"YOU BITCH! YOU TOOK MY DAUGHTER AWAY!" Hermione yelled, a stream of different lights emitting from her wand towards Lavender. Draco ducked from the lights, trying his hardest to not stand up and clap at the beautiful creature – and at the same time, trying to avoid the streams; he was sure he'd get killed in the crossfire if he stood up. Lavender laughed.

"Your daughter is just a half-breed. You'll do without her. Besides, is it really your daughter your angry about? Not the fact that I, once again, stole your true love from you?" She laughed again and Hermione shrieked, a single jet of white light shooting from her wand, hitting Lavender square in the chest. Lavender's smile stiffened – and she fell down. Hermione huffed.

"Bitch." She said as Draco quietly stood up, walking towards the unconscious Lavender, kicking her lightly with his foot.

"You've killed her?" He asked. She raised an eyebrow.

"Draco, what do you think of me? I would never. I'd rather leave her to Harry and Ginny's wrath." She smiled. "They should be here soon, by the way." She told him, turning to the door again. A groggy Narcissa stood in the doorway, rubbing her eyes in a very childlike way.

"What'd I miss?" She asked and yawned. Hermione took the older woman by the arm and led her inside again, leaving Draco in the light rain and Lavender. He sighed and lifted her, not trying to be careful in the slightest and carried her inside, where his mother and Hermione sat down on the couch together.

He laid Lavender on the carpet in the hall and walked into the living room.

"So, how did you-" He started to ask, but Hermione cut him off.

"Find out what happened? I'm a light sleeper, Draco, and I heard her very… Distinctive laughter from my bedroom window." He nodded.

"How did you—" He tried again, but Hermione cut him off yet again.

"Contact Harry and Ginny? I have my ways." She said with finality. He shrugged and sat down next to his mother, who had wrapped a blanket around her fragile shoulder.

"My health isn't what it used to be." Narcissa sighed. Draco stared at her – he had to give her that, she didn't look healthy any more. She was nothing but skin and bones and her hands shook.

"Mother, what happened..?" She shook her head.

"That story is for another day, dear." She said. He sighed again. He realized how much his mother and Hermione were alike. The three sat in silence for a while, until Draco remembered the note lavender had handed it him earlier.

"Lavender gave me this." He said to Hermione, stretching his hand out to her, handing her the note. She looked disgusted.

"Ugh, it even smells like her perfume." She said and opened it with care, as if it was a rotting animal in her hands.

_Hello, Hermione._

_Well, here we are._

_You in the arms of the git, Draco Malfoy, me with my arms full of your daughter._

_I'm guessing that you've must've figured out where I'm hiding._

_If not, I have given you way more credit than I should have._

_Lavie told me that Harry and some of the others had found a few places we've used for hiding._

_You know as well as I, that I wouldn't hide somewhere easy for Harry to find._

_Think hard, Hermione._

_Or your daughter might not be so… Whole as you remember her._

Hermione gasped. Draco glared. Narcissa tried to read the letter, but Hermione had crumbled it into a small ball of yellowing paper.

And just when Hermione opened her mouth to say something, the fireplace glowed green and a coughing Harry and a sneezing Ginny stepped out.

"Harry, have you lost your mind!? We weren't supposed to hold hands, it's dangerous!" Harry shook his head and was about to retort, when he caught a glimpse of the sight in front of him. Ginny looked at Hermione and rushed to her side, instantly hugging her friend. Harry nodded to Draco and Narcissa and waited for Hermione and Ginny to finish hugging. He cleared his throat after a few minutes and both girls looked up, not letting each other go.

"Well, what was the rush?" He asked, staring at Draco. "Did he do something?" He jabbed a finger in Draco's direction, while both Narcissa and Draco huffed with annoyance.

"No, Harry." Hermione said and pointed a finger in Lavender's general direction. Ginny followed her friends finger and gasped when she saw the lifeless Lavender Brown laying on the carpet.

"HERMIONE! Did you kill her!?" She shrieked, as Harry walked over to Lavender, poking her gently with his wand. Hermione shook her head.

"I wish I did. But you know me, I can't…" She didn't finish her sentence and Ginny nodded understandingly. Harry looked at Hermione.

"Why on earth did she show up here?" He asked. Draco answered.

"I have no idea. She said she had information and then she handed me this letter and then it went.. a bit off the tracks and Hermione sort of hexed her." He rambled. Harry nodded.

"Do you have the letter?" He asked, stretching his hand out. Hermione threw the curled up note to him.

"Ugh. It smells like her." He said, wrinkling his nose. Draco stifled a chuckle, remembering the scene that had played out exactly the same a few minutes earlier. Harry read the note, flashes of emotions crossed his face.

"Do you have any idea, Hermione?" He asked. Hermione looked at Ginny and then at Draco.

"I have one… But I couldn't imagine him going there." She said and Ginny laid a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

Draco felt a surge of jealousy rush through him – he didn't understand why, but realized a second after that… He wanted to comfort her. Not Ginny. He shook his head, but the emotion crossing his face hadn't gone unnoticed. His mother looked at him, raising a blonde eyebrow at him. He shook his head.

"Just tell me, Hermione. Anything can help at this point." Hermione sighed.

"My parent's house." She mumbled. Harry stared at her, as well as Ginny, Draco and Narcissa.

"Why..?" Harry asked. Hermione glared at him.

"Does that really matter right now?" She scolded. Harry shook his head and Ginny snickered. Hermione hadn't changed much since her school years.

The five people had stayed up late, talking plans and ideas to find Ron and Rose. Lavender still slept on the carpet, after Hermione sheepishly told them that she had created a sleeping-charm, that worked way more effectively than a sleeping-potion – although, the side effects, she had realized now, must have been a sleep that lasted way more than a few hours. Harry had laughed and so had Ginny – Draco had looked at Hermione, who had looked bashful and he caught her eye. He smiled and she had blushed – the most delicate faint rose colour rose on her cheeks and she looked down at her knees again.

Around five in the morning, Draco kicked Ginny and Harry out. They had dragged Lavender with them, promising they'd go straight to the Ministry and to Shacklebolt to put her in Azkaban.

Narcissa swayed lightly on the couch, her eyes drooping slightly and Draco firmly stated it was time for bed.

"We still need to talk tomorrow. I must not forget." Narcissa mumbled and Draco had a hunch she had been talking more to herself than to him. He placed a thick blanket over her body and she fell asleep.

He turned to Hermione, who still sat in a chaise-chair next to the fireplace.

"Ready for bed?" He asked her. She merely nodded and rose slowly from the chair. He took her by the arm and led her upstairs, gently tucking her into her bed.

"Goodnight, Hermione." He said and turned to leave.

"Stay?" She mumbled through the covers to his turned back. He smiled slightly to himself.

"Always." He answered and crawled under the covers to snuggle up against her warm form.


	20. Answers

**A/N: I'm so happy about all the positive response I'm getting. It's truly amazing. Thank you all so much!**

**I'm hoping I get to finish this story before my exams starts – I would hate not updating pretty much two times a week.**

**I am sincerely hoping that the story lives up to your ideas and hopes; I'm trying so hard to make everything happen without plotholes.**

**If someone wants to, you can contact me in a PM and tell me what you think I need to do – or if you have some constructive criticism.**

**As usual, a huge thank you to my beta, Seiftis-forevs-47 – go check out some of her things!**

**Disclaimer: All belongs to J.K Rowling – plot is mine.**

**LET'S GET IT ON**

Draco woke up the next morning feeling more content than he had done before; after a while, he realized that he was lying with someone curled up next to him, deep breathing emitting from her. He sighed happily, not daring to open his eyes. After a while, the deep breathing became shallower, and she started to stir next to him. He kept his eyes closed.

"Good morning, Draco." She mumbled. He smiled.

"Good morning, 'Mione." He murmured back, his voice hoarse with sleep. She yawned loudly.

"It's the last day." She stated after a while. He finally opened his eyes and looked down on Hermione.

"I know." He simply said. She curled up closer to him, his arm free to wrap around her shoulder. They lay there, silently begging for their daughter's well-being, when they heard noises from downstairs.

"My mother is up." Draco said. Hermione groaned and sat up, Draco's arm sliding off of her shoulder.

"We should get up." She said and stood up, stretching her entire body. He groaned – her body in her pyjamas didn't do him any good.

"I best take a shower." He said, trying to sound nonchalant. She rose an eyebrow at him and smirked.

"Fine. I'll go down to your mother, then." She said and left the room – Draco fell back on the pillows, groaning slightly at his obvious boner.

"Leave it to you to ruin everything." He murmured to himself and finally stood up, walking to the bathroom.

Hermione descended the stairs, yawning lightly. She entered the kitchen, where a tired Narcissa sat at the table, yawning hugely. Hermione smiled.

"Good morning, Narcissa." She said and Narcissa's head shot up, looking at her.

"Good morning, Hermione. Did you sleep well?" She enquired as she stood up to hug Hermione. Hermione nodded and moved to the tea-pot as soon as Narcissa had let her go. She started making tea, rubbing her eyes slightly while she did so. It was silent; the only sound was the water boiling and the hushed sound of water running from the upstairs.

Hermione placed a cup of tea in front of Narcissa and she thanked her. They sat down silently, waking up as they drank their tea.

"Narcissa?" Hermione asked after a while.

"Yes, dear?" Narcissa answered, her blue eyes resting on Hermione's face.

"Why… How come you haven't got any problems with me living with Draco? You do know we aren't actually married and… Well, I'm what I am." Hermione asked, a faint blush colouring her cheeks.

Narcissa smiled. "My dear, I figured that part out as soon as I stepped inside this house. You both are very fond of each other, but you are not married. You would have another kind of chemistry if you were." Hermione smiled. "And I have never been a big fan of the whole Mudblood/pureblood thing my husband beat into my son's head. Trust me when I say that I'm very happy that you are here and not some bimbo." She coughed lightly.

Hermione looked worriedly at Narcissa. "I'm grateful for that. But.. I know you wouldn't tell Draco and for obvious reasons.." Narcissa laughed.

"Yes he might be a tad overprotective." She said.

Hermione smiled and continued. "I was merely wondering… what is wrong? You look and excuse me for saying so, like you're in bad shape. What happened on the trip?" Hermione enquired.

Narcissa looked at her questioningly. "Why are you asking?" She asked.

Hermione blushed. "I just.. I care about my daughter's grandmother. And to be quite fair, I dislike the fact that you might be feeling ill while you were here." She mumbled. "It's okay if you won't tell me, I completely understand." She finished off.

Narcissa smiled. "You see, my dear husband somehow escaped Azkaban. And of course, I thought to sought him out, which was, at the time, a wonderful idea. We tracked him down to different areas of the world – Brazil, USA and finally, Albania. Where I, unfortunately, was bitten by a snake. Normally, it would be something I would be able to heal, but I've never encountered that particular species before and I had no idea how to heal it." She sighed.

"Mr. Zabini tried to help and he did a wonderful job. But, much to my regret, we could do nothing to stop the venom travelling fast in my body. We've only slowed the process down, but it won't last. I will die and I will die before the year ends." She finally said. Hermione gasped and clasped Narcissa hands in hers.

"Can you show me a picture of it? Or draw me a painting of it? I might be able to help.." Hermione tried, but Narcissa shook her head sadly.

"No, dear, it's quite alright. I knew it would come. If not from the snake, then from something else. We all pass away – but sometimes, the process is just a little bit faster than we thought it would be." She smiled. "I'm just hoping to meet my granddaughter before I do pass away."

Hermione sniffled and smiled. "I'm so sorry, Narcissa."

Narcissa nodded. "So am I." They sat in silence, their tea all but forgotten, when the stairs creaked. They both looked up to see Draco standing in the doorway to the kitchen, looking suspiciously at them.

"What's going on?" He asked. The women in front of him smiled.

Hermione answered. "Just… Girl-things." She smirked. Narcissa laughed lightly. Draco shook his head and walked to the tea-pot to pour some of it for himself.

"So, do we contact Potter and Weaslette?" He asked. Hermione huffed.

"Harry and Ginny, thank you very much. And no, they'll come here at two o'clock." She answered.

He nodded. "Do you reckon they've discovered something?"

She shrugged at his question. "Maybe, maybe not. We won't know until they show up."

He nodded again. Narcissa suddenly started coughing violently.

"Oh dear." She gasped. "Hermione, do you have any soothing potion?" She asked, knowing that women normally kept a few bottles of it in their purse for lady-problems. Hermione nodded.

"Sure. I'll go get it." She stood up and caught Draco's eye. He raised his eyebrows as if asking her a question.

"You don't want to know." She said and winked.

He grimaced and coughed a bit to cover his embarrassment. "You're right, I don't." He said as Hermione left the kitchen, giggling. Draco turned to his mother. "You said we needed to talk last night. Bring it." He said to her and her face fell into a serious mask.

"Yes, we do." He sat down. "Your father apparently left somewhat of a legacy behind." Draco merely raised his eyebrows, in confusion. "You remember the floorboard in the saloon? And what was under it?" She asked. He nodded curtly. "Well, it's gone. And from what I gather, it's gone somewhere you know." He said nothing, rage boiling just underneath his skin. "Uhm.. I found some notes. And it seems as though it's been left in the care of Ronald Weasley." Draco growled.

"Are you telling me that the potion for endless sleep and pain is in the care of the man who stole my daughter?"


	21. Secrets

**A/N: Honestly, this story is like the work of my life; and I cannot express how grateful I am for the almost 25,000 (!) who have read this story and enjoyed it. Thank you all so, so much!**

**Again, as always, please review and if you feel like it, PM me with some ideas you want for the story.**

**On another note, both me and my beta will be extremely busy the next few days, so if I put up a chapter that's unedited, then please have that in mind – also, I might not be able to update as frequently as I have before.**

**Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns everything – trust me, if I had written the Harry Potter series, I'd be chilling in the shade of a palm tree.**

Draco had been fuming for a few hours – he couldn't understand how on earth the Weasel had been in contact with his Father, nor why his Father had answered him. He hissed and growled, looking quite dangerous, when Hermione came running down the stairs looking frantic.

"Draco!" She almost screamed, running into the room where he had been pacing.

"What?" Her anxiety made him uneasy and more restless than he had been before.

"They found him." She said and Draco growled. He wanted to stab a blunt fork into the scum-bags eye and then tear his throat out. With his teeth!

"I know." She said as an answer to his growls.

Narcissa came from the small bathroom and looked at them. "Why are you shouting?" She asked. Her face lit up when she saw the light in Hermione's eyes. "Rose..?" She asked.

Hermione's face fell. "I don't know. Harry wouldn't answer. But, they did capture Ron." She said, almost defensibly and Narcissa nodded.

Draco tapped his foot. "What are we waiting for!?" He shouted, making Hermione jump.

She glared at him. "We are waiting for Harry, you dimwit!" She shouted back.

Draco groaned. Of course they were waiting for the saviour Potter.

The fireplace next to them roared to life in green flames and a somewhat tussled Ginny Weasley stepped out, looking at the three people in the room.

"I guess you heard?" She asked with a slight smirk.

Hermione nodded vigorously and Draco mumbled something like a yes. Ginny smiled and pointed to the couch, where Hermione and Draco sat down.

"I need to know everything." Draco bluntly stated. Ginny cocked an eyebrow in his direction.

"Patience, young grasshopper!" She said, smiling. "Firstly, I need to know how you guys are doing?" She asked, sitting down on a chair opposite of them.

Hermione nodded and opened her mouth before Draco could retort with some snide remark. "We're doing… Well, we are living." She said, rubbing her arm.

Ginny simply nodded. Narcissa coughed, earning her a concerned look from Draco.

"No worries, all is well." Narcissa stated, looking up at Ginny.

"Okay, here's what I know. Harry wouldn't tell me much – I'm sure he's been afraid of me doing something stupid. Like cutting vital parts off of Ron." She grinned. "And I would have. Anyway, you were right, Hermione, he was hiding out in your parents' house. They found him, cuddling some of your old clothes, laughing like a maniac and he didn't even put up a fight when they dragged him out. From what Harry told me, the only thing that happened was him mumbling something they didn't understand." Ginny frowned.

"Wait, why weren't you there?" Hermione asked, confused.

Ginny blushed. "Harry is being very overprotective as of late because… I'm pregnant." She beamed at Hermione, who had clasped her hands over her mouth, tears overflowing.

"Oh, Ginny!" She stood up, instantly hugging her best friend.

"I know!" Ginny said. Hermione then returned to her seat next to Draco.

"Okay, beside the happy news, can we get some other news?" Draco asked. He looked dangerous again. Hermione nodded and snaked her arm around his muscular one and waited for Ginny to continue.

"Yes, of course, thank you for congratulating me and so on." Ginny said sarcastically, but continued on regardless. "They got Ron into custody at the Wizgamot; problem is that the rest of the gang has apparently disappeared. Like off the face of the earth." She said and furrowed her brows, in confusion. "And we have no idea where they've gone. We got people around every freaking corner, but nonetheless, they just don't show up anywhere." Ginny sighed and ran a pale hand through her red hair. "And that's all we have for now." She finished, sitting down again. Draco and Hermione stared at each other – Narcissa coughed violently again and gasped for breath. Draco whipped his head around, glaring at his mother.

"Honestly, Mother, could you tell me what the hell is wrong with you? I've got enough shit going on in my life right now." Narcissa glared back at her son, but as she opened her mouth, a timid knock came from the front door. Draco growled at the interruption and Hermione sighed.

"I'll get it." She said, pushing Draco down onto the couch again. She walked to the door, opening it slightly to peek out and groaned when she saw what stood outside.

Rita Skeeter and her group of photographers stood outside the door, looking around to observe the house and when they saw Hermione's head, they smiled broadly.

"What do you want?" She asked.

Rita's smile faltered a bit. "You apparently don't remember our agreement a few weeks ago I could come here, take some pictures of your… Marriage… And interview you both." Rita tried to peek inside the house, but Hermione drew the door closer to herself, obscuring the view from Rita.

"Now is not the best time." She said pointedly.

Rita smiled. "It won't take more than thirty minutes, promise."

Hermione glared at Rita. In retrospect, she thought the plan to let people believe in their marriage seemed so silly and honestly rather stupid. She groaned and opened the door, yelling to Draco.

"Draco, love, we've got visitors!" Her voice sounded odd, a shrill edge sneaking into her tone. Draco looked at her and sneered when he saw who came in behind Hermione. Hermione shook her head and looked at him – he understood the hint and came up to her.

"Why are you here?" He asked, snaking his arm around Hermione's waist in a loving gesture.

"Oh, we're here to do the interview!" Rita exclaimed and clapped her hands together, peeking into the living room.

Draco followed her eyes. "Ah, yes, we've got some company. Rita, meet my mother and Ginny Weasley."

Ginny huffed. "I'm Ginny Potter, now, actually." She said with some disdain. Narcissa stood up as Rita brushed past Hermione and Draco.

"Lovely to meet you – tell me, how did you feel when you found out these two old rivals where married?" Rita asked, waving her hand to make her photographers move around and take pictures. She then quickly extracted her scribbler and a piece of parchment and waited for an answer.

"Old rivals? I'm sorry, but Draco and Hermione have been friends for a long time. Ever since the battle, I reckon. Maybe even earlier. So it didn't come as a surprise." Narcissa said with a sly grin pointing in the direction of the couple still standing in the entranceway to the living room.

Draco groaned. "This is going to be bad…" He whispered to Hermione, who sighed. It was going to be bad indeed.

Rita lost interest in Narcissa, seeing as the elderly woman didn't have any snide remarks and she turned to Ginny.

"So, Mrs. Potter. How do you feel about this marriage?" Ginny looked as if she were in deep pain – she looked at Hermione, who franticly tried to make her understand the complicity of the situation.

"As Narcissa said, they've been friends for a long time." Ginny said hesitantly.

Rita smiled broadly. "Yes, of course. But still, your brother was with Hermione almost instantly after the war and it must make you angry that Miss Granger had been cheating? And with no other than Draco Malfoy?" Rita tried. Ginny looked at Hermione, who started biting her lower lip.

"My brother was a… Git -to put it nicely- to Hermione. I'm not that surprised. These two have always been… Like two sides of one coin, you know?" Ginny tried again – her voice quivered with anger.

"Really? You seem angry."

Ginny sighed. "I'm not angry. I was a bit taken aback in the beginning, but so was everyone else. I promise you, I couldn't be happier for them. Now, if you'll excuse me." Ginny finished and walked to Hermione.

"I'm sorry, but I need to go." Hermione merely nodded, her eyes plastered to Rita as she walked around the house. Ginny waved goodbye and stepped outside. Draco looked concerned at Hermione, sensing her discomfort.

"You haven't got any family photos. Or a wedding-day-photo." Rita stated, her sly grin showing again.

Draco hissed. "I'm sorry that the fact that my wedding photos are currently lying in the living room of my grand house. Where, as you remember, one of my closest friends was killed. If I recall correctly, you wrote the freaking article." He sneered at Rita. She merely glanced back and continued her search around the house.

"So, Hermione, how did Ronald Weasley take it?" Rita asked out of the blue. Narcissa coughed again and Rita quickly skidded to the other side of the room, afraid to catch anything slightly related to sickness. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't know, because I haven't exactly been talking to him. You know, he dislikes me and Draco to quite some extent." She said with malice.

Rita shrugged. "Draco, why did you marry Hermione?" Rita asked bluntly.

"It's Mr. Malfoy to you, thank you very much. And I married her because I love her." He said, his grip tightening around Hermione's waist.

A flash went off behind them and a purple cloud emerged from the camera, which one of the photographers was holding. He shrugged and chuckled lightly and mumbled something that sounded like a sorry.

"Sorry, but we're done here. My mother is ill and Hermione and I would like some time alone." He pointedly stated to Rita.

"Fine. Expect the paper in two days." She said and grabbed her photographers and left.

Draco sighed. "She's going to twist every single word we said, isn't she?" He asked, running a lean hand through his hair, ruffling it slightly.

Hermione smiled. "Yes." She said and raised her hand to flatten his hair down again.

He smiled back, but their reverie was destroyed when Narcissa coughed harshly again.

Draco rushed to her side. "It's time to tell me now." He said, angered. Narcissa looked at Hermione, her eyes begging to not be the one delivering the news of her imminent death and Hermione nodded.

"Draco?" She asked timidly. His head whipped around and looked at her. She drew a deep breath and started telling him what Narcissa had told her. Draco's lips pursed into a thin line as the story progressed and he was about to open his mouth when Harry and Ginny popped into the living room.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, what now!?" Hermione shouted and threw her hands in the air – but she caught Harry's eyes and saw sorrow, anger, guilt and helplessness in them and she sat down, clutching her shirt, as if sensing bad news. Draco sat down next to her and Narcissa took short, shallow breaths.

"Hermione, I'm sorry, we need to talk." Ginny said, her voice cracking in odd spots and her eyes glittering with the tears that threatened to spill. Harry sat down.


	22. The end

**A/N: Oh god, I feel terrible for leaving you all with such a cliffhanger. Hopefully this update is going to make you all feel better (even though I'm sure most of you will hate me for it…) But I just wanted to thank you all for the amazing support I'm getting. Thank you!**

**Please review!**

**As always, thank you to my beta – you are the rock in this story for me. **

**Disclaimer: All belongs to J.K Rowling.**

Hermione had crumbled down onto the floor, mumbling incoherently. Draco sat in the chair, stunned beyond belief, scratching his arms until they were red and bloody. Narcissa sobbed in the corner of the room, disregarding everything and everyone. Harry and Ginny sat still, holding each other's hand, not truly grasping the severity of the wound they had just inflicted on their best friend and her room-mate.

During Harry's interrogation of Ron, a lot of stuff had come out – Ron had finally come clean. He had told Harry that the actual motive was mostly to hurt Hermione and Harry; Lavender had been in on it for a while and they had both made plans, even during their school years and the fact that Hermione had a daughter had made it all too easy for them to carry out these plans.

Ron had stolen hair from an innocent muggle in the town Lavender lived in, transforming himself into someone whom Lisa would trust. Lisa had fallen, hard and fast for the guy and had indulged in a lot more personal information than Hermione or Draco would ever have told him. She had spilled everything regarding their personal-life – including their fast marriage, but not the reason why. Ron had assumed Hermione had gotten pregnant again and had, enraged, made new plans.

He had, step by step, explained how he had killed Lisa and stolen Rose. Rose had been awake for the most part and Ron had decided fairly quickly to give her the potion Lucius Malfoy had given him, through a bottle. She had whimpered, sleeping and seemingly oblivious to what had been going on – and Ron went straight to Hermione's parents' house, a perfect spot for him to wait for Hermione.

After Lavender had been caught, Ron suddenly realized how stupid the plan was. No matter what, he couldn't hurt either Hermione or Harry enough by kidnapping Rose and giving her the potion – so he had apparently thought long and hard over his choices. He had been smelling Hermione's clothes, trying to think of what she would have done in this situation and had finally come to a conclusion.

He had killed Rose.

Harry had at that revelation lunged across the table, trying to tear Ron's eyeballs out. An auror had stopped him, but as Harry explained through tears, Ron was to be given the Dementors Kiss as of this afternoon. No one was to see him. As for now, harry said in a dark voice, I hoped that someone would made him eat a vital part of his body before suffering the Kiss.

Harry had explained that the incoherent stuff he had been mumbling as they dragged him from the house had sounded like, "This'll hurt her, she hurt me." He had been saying it as a mantra – Draco had asked in a dull, numb voice, how she had hurt him. Harry said that Ron always had been the jealous type and when she didn't want to go out with him, he wanted revenge on her.

And now, five people were in the living room. Hermione couldn't breathe properly any more and a strangled cry tore upwards from her throat. Ginny stared into the air, not seeing, but refusing to let the tears fall, whereas Harry cried silently next to her. Draco sat, poised as ever, but pale and unmoving. Narcissa had tried to comfort him, but he had merely hissed at her, making her move back to her chair.

Harry spoke up first. "I just… Hermione…" Hermione couldn't look at him. Harry, who had promised to save her daughter, had failed to save someone for the first time in his life.

Draco's eyes snapped up and he spoke in a low voice. "If you value your life, you shut your mouth right now, Potter." He growled. Hermione whimpered, the first audible sound from her – and Draco rushed to her side. "Hermione, oh god.." Hermione kept her hands on her face, whimpering louder and Draco surrounded her with his arms. "Hermione, please, just say something." Draco pushed on, mumbling into her hair.

"I… I can't…" She said her voice faltering and finally, she cried. Draco embraced her again, finally letting himself feel the pain inflicted on him as a stab wound, unable to heal. He cried with her.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry, I love you, I love you…" He whispered over and over in her hair as she sobbed and cried out, endless despair apparent in her voice. Narcissa came over to the pair and knelt down on the floor, wrapping them both in her cold arms.

"I'm sorry." Was all she needed to say, then Draco and Hermione straightened up a bit. Hermione looked at Draco, a deep sorrow mirroring his own in her eyes.

"I love you." She whispered, her lips trembling with sorrow and he nodded, already knowing. Draco looked at Harry and Ginny.

"We need to be alone. Just family." They nodded, understanding the words – not harsh, nor angry, just sad and almost a plea to leave them be. They left, not through the wild, green fire's flames, but through the front door, smiling sadly at the three family members on the floor.

Hermione sighed and cried silently after her friends left. Draco decided to lift her onto the couch, to some semblance of comfort, embracing her the best that he could and sat down. She wouldn't leave his arms, so she stayed, curled up on his lap, gripping his sweater tightly.

"Mother, this is not up for discussion. You are to go to St Mungos and you are going to do it now. You'll get an antidote, because I'm not losing you too." Narcissa only nodded, understanding the urgency behind her son's voice and left through the flames she brought to life.

Draco and Hermione were alone. Silence filled the room, as they sat with each other, clutching onto one another, gripping closely the only thing they now had left.

"Draco?" She whispered, her voice hoarse from her strangled cries. He nodded into her hair, smelling her vanilla and her very own Hermione scent. "What are we going to do?" She sounded like a wounded animal and Draco's heart lurched for the witch in his lap.

"I don't know." He said. They sat like that for a while, but fatigue overcame them both and they slipped sideways, curled around each other, falling asleep.

:::::::::::::

The next few days flew by them in a blur. The only thing the young pair truly remembered had been their daughter's funeral. A casket, all too small, white and overflowing with flowers, had been lowered into the earth, next to Hermione's parents. She had insisted on a muggle-funeral and he indulged. He wanted to please her. A lot of people had been there, trying to show support, but when Rita Skeeter showed up, with a false, sorrowful smile plastered on her face, Draco had lost it. She left, a part of her hideous curls, still in Draco's hand.

They remembered the newspaper article.

_Tragedy Struck for Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy_

_After a brief interview at their house, one should think that Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger-Malfoy were pure bliss.  
>But tragedy struck the young couple only mere hours after our special reporter had been sent to their house. Mr. Malfoy and Mrs. Granger-Malfoy lost their first and only child, Rose Malfoy.<em>

_Our reporter talked to some of their relatives and Ginny Potter only said this:  
>"We are as surprised as anyone else. But, it didn't really… We sort of expected it."<em>

_We tried to go to the funeral to get an interview with the two young mourners, but the reporter was kicked out before she got a response._

_Which now, more than ever, begs the question; why did they expect the toddler's death?  
>And does the new Malfoy-family have reasons to hide?<em>

Followed by a two big pictures; one of them smiling and looking at each other, and one at the funeral.

They had only scoffed at the article, not really caring any more. The loss of their daughter had overcome them; it was the only thing on their minds these days.

Until, one morning, Hermione came down from their now shared bedroom – nightmares had only increased since Rose had died – with a look of horror, slight shock and apprehensive happiness on her face. Draco looked up from his conversation with his mother, who looked healthier than ever and looked questioningly at Hermione.

She sighed deeply and looked at him, a small smile playing on her lips.

"I'm pregnant."

**A/N (un-edited): I FUCKING HATE MYSELF FOR DOING THIS. But, as much as I hate this turn of the story, it's going to get better, I promise. Again, review!**

**On a sidenote, I only have one more chapter to go, unless I decide to… Write a HUGE epilogue, which I'm not feeling right now. I love you all!**


	23. 11 years later

**A/N: Oh god, I'm so sorry for doing that oh god I hate myself oh my god. But, the story wouldn't go the way I wanted it to without Rose's death – DON'T HATE ME.  
>You'll love me by the end of this, I promise. Now, this is the last chapter (I'm dying a bit) But! I think I'll do a sequel – too many loose ends, you know? I'll post a preview of the sequel after this chapter, so fear not, my dear friends, fear not.<strong>

**As always, thank you all for reviewing and reading this, thank you to my beta, who's been here for me throughout this story. You are truly an amazing person. **

**Review please, and make this story unforgettable for me!**

11 years later

Hermione, Draco, Scorpius and Magdalena rushed to the brick-wall between platform 9 and 10. Hermione huffed, losing breath, as Magdalena was currently placed on her hip, her arms sloppily thrown over her mother's shoulders.

"You two, come on! We're going to be late!" Hermione yelled to the two men behind her – she heard the tone in Scorpius' voice and she sighed – he looked and sounded like his father in so many ways.

"Relax, Hermione, we're 20 minutes early!" Draco shouted to her, but sped up nonetheless. They passed through the wall and were immediately enveloped in a thick steam emitting from the bright red train in front of their eyes.

"Wauw." Magdalena whispered. Hermione smiled down at her daughter.

Hermione and Draco had after their son's birth, tried to put their daughter's death behind them. It hadn't been easy, but as soon as Scorpius was old enough to understand, they explained what had happened to her. Hermione couldn't stop seeing Rose everywhere, but she had finally, with the help of her best friends, stopped seeing visions of her daughter growing older. She would have been 14 by now, if she had lived and the thought of that had tugged at both Draco and Hermione's hearts.

Scorpius arrived in late December, a chubby little kid – the spitting image of his father. Hermione and Draco had soon after decided to be legally married and had since then, lived in Draco's town-house closer to London. Magdalena arrived 6 years later; a spitting image of her mother, but with her father's hair.

Narcissa Malfoy had been feeling better for a few years – she met her grandson and granddaughter, but the venom in her system had finally taken hold of her and she passed away a year ago. Draco had been devastated and so had Hermione – Narcissa had been their rock, even with her constant: "But I'm sure of it, Rose isn't dead!" Which she kept slurring around, every now and then.

Hermione had taken a job in the Ministry – she had finished her book, which was a best-seller for a long time. She was content with her work and Draco had supported her, even though he thought he should be the only one making money, not both of them.

Draco tried to keep busy with his children and his business. He did alright, managing to maintain normal hours and normally brought his children with him to work, which meant that Scorpius already had an excessive amount of knowledge in medical treatments – and it came in handy, as Scorpius enjoyed what his mother called "stupid, ridiculous, dangerous, man-made sports," and he often got injured flying around.

Harry and Ginny had their two sons, James and Albus. James was also going to be starting his first year in Hogwarts this year. They were happy, trying to enjoy their life – even though, the thoughts of Ron came, as did the family dinners with the Weasley family and somehow it always ended up with broken plates and screaming.

Hermione and Draco couldn't really talk about Rose any more. They had tried at first, with each other, Narcissa, Harry and Ginny, but they couldn't – her death had left a huge void in them that Scorpius and Magdalena could never fill out. Eventually, they stopped talking about her altogether, but Hermione wrote about her and Draco drew and painted her – as he imagined her to look like. Hermione thought she would have been beautiful; she was sure of it and she knew Rose had inherited her father's looks.

"Mummy?" A small voice pulled Hermione from her own head and she looked down at her daughter.

"Yes, dear?" She asked her with a small smile, lifting Magdalena slightly higher on her hip.

"Where's Al?" She asked, almost scared; Hermione smiled.

"He's going to be here any moment." She looked around on the platform as she felt a hand on the small of her back – she looked behind her and saw Draco smiling sadly, looking at the train.

"I don't want them to leave." Draco had become a very caring and concerned father – something Scorpius often complained about. But Hermione knew better and she understood her husband's words.

"I know. But they will be safe, I promise you that." She said to him. He leaned in to her ear.

"I'm well aware of their safety. It's because of me. I can't handle the house without them." He whispered in her ear as he stroked Magdalena's hair, making her giggle.

Hermione sighed. It seemed as if the memories of Rose came flooding back whenever the house was void of their children's laughter.

"Draco, Magdalena has six years to go. It's going to be fine."

He huffed at that. "Yeah, you can say that. I'm just…" He shook his head and she leaned in, kissing him on his nose.

"You're going to be fine. I will make sure of that." She smiled at him and he smirked back.

"MUM!" Scorpius yelled through the sudden hoot of the train. She looked at her son, who still was clutching his father's hand. He pointed at something through the steam, and she saw a waving hand.

"JAMEESSS!" Scorpius roared and ran to hug his friend, making Draco huff in annoyance. Hermione laughed at her husband's expression.

"It'll be fine." She said to him. "Ginny! Harry!" She said and hugged her friends the best that she could with a struggling Magdalena on her hip. "Oh, go say hi. DON'T RUN OFF!" She yelled at her daughter when she put her down – Magdalena ran straight to the black-haired boy, who were clutching Ginny's hand with a huge grin on his face.

"How are you two?" Harry asked and shook hands with Draco. They had learned to tolerate each other, but no more than that.

"We're okay." Draco answered, wrapping a hand around Hermione's. She smiled and looked down at the children in front of her. The train hooted again and she bent down to grasp Magdalena's hand.

"Scorpius! Come on, it's time." Draco yelled at his son, who only looked back with a smirk and started lazily walking towards them with James on his right side, almost doubling over with laughter.

"What is going on with you two?" Hermione asked. Scorpius raised his eyebrows in mock innocence.

"Nothing, Mother, we're only chatting."

Hermione snorted. "I think you two best get on the train. Get over here, Scorp." She smiled at her son. He reminded her so much of Draco in his school years and she wouldn't be surprised if he ended up in Slytherin.

"You be good, okay? I won't hear about any trouble!" She said to him as she hugged him. "And remember to owl us once in a while. Say hi to Hagrid-"

Scorpius interrupted her. "And Professor Longbottom, don't get on Filch's bad side, avoid the girl's lavatory on the second floor… Mum, I'm going to be fine."

Hermione laughed and brushed a stray tear off her cheek. Scorpius turned to Draco who looked very stern.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't have done, okay?" Scorpius snorted and Hermione rolled her eyes. That would equal endless opportunities. "And have a good time. We'll see you at Christmas." He said, hugging Scorpius. Scorpius turned to his sister.

"I'll send you something cool, okay Mags?" Magdalena nodded, crying and Scorpius turned to James, who had been waiting for him. "Let's do it, mate." He said and smacked James' arm. The two of them went inside and poked their hands out of their window as they found a compartment – they were still waving when the train moved, leaving for Hogwarts.

Harry and Ginny turned to Draco and Hermione.

"We'll see you two in a week, right?" Ginny asked sternly and hugged Hermione.

"Of course! Who'd miss your dinner?" Hermione laughed, turning to Harry. "You be nice to your wife." She said playfully and hugged him.

He laughed. "You be nice to your husband." Harry nodded to Draco, who merely nodded back.

"Oh, for heaven's sake." Ginny said, dragging Draco into a very tight hug. He spluttered and hugged lightly back.

"We'll see you soon."

The Potters turned and started walking towards the brick wall, disappearing. Hermione sighed and clutched her daughter's hand firmer.

"Let's go home." She said and Draco nodded. They walked into the brick wall, Magdalena gasping lightly at the odd sensation and finally, they reached Draco's black SUV.

"Who's that?" Draco asked, squinting his eyes. Hermione furrowed her brows – it wasn't normal to see someone leaning on their car.

"I don't know. Can you take Mags? I'll go see. Stay. Here." She said, leaving Draco a few meters from the car.

"Excuse me? I think you've got the…" Hermione's breath hitched as she looked at the young woman leaning lightly on the hood of the car. The young woman smirked slightly and stared into Hermione's eyes, swiftly removing herself from the hood of the SUV.

"Hello, mum." Rose said.

**A/N: SHIT FUCK I HATE MYSELF I'M ENDING THE STORY WITH A CLIFFHANGER.**

**Well, guys, that was it. In a week I'm starting the sequel to this one – it'll be short, I think… ****But we'll see.**

**The sequel will be called "The Hidden Rose", so look for it! I'll post (on this story as a chapter) a preview of the sequel soon.**

**Thank you all so much for reading this story. It's amazing – and I have endless "thank you's" to you all! ****I love you all.**


	24. Preview

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm so sorry I've left you all with such a cliffhanger, but I'm posting the preview for the sequel now; please, have patience with me, because I'm going to be busy in the next long while – exams and so on, so if I don't update as frequently as I wish I could, then… Yeah well, you've been warned!**

**Thank you all for amazing reviews on this story!**

**As always, a special thanks to my Beta, who's been here for me for such a long time, dealing with my bad grammar and spelling and my plottwists. **

**All belongs to J.K Rowling; trust me when I say I would have written the Harry Potter series way longer if I owned it.**

**Enjoy!**

Hermione had been clutching her chest for several hours since they returned home. Her daughter. Her daughter wasn't dead! Narcissa had been right all along. Draco had been ashen in his face since Rose returned – Magdalena just enjoyed having a playmate for some time.

Hermione and Draco sat together on the couch in their living room, watching their two daughters play together. Hermione's right hand was grasping Draco's left hand, and they're breathing was shallow and erratic. Rose looked at them and Hermione gasped – she looked just like Draco but with some slight Hermione in the mix.

"Okay, what's going on?" Rose asked, as a smirk found its place on her full lips.

Draco snarled. "YOU'VE BEEN DEAD. WE BURIED YOU."

Rose recoiled. "Actually… Since the aurors never let you see my body…. Well, you kind of just buried an empty coffin." Hermione sank further into the couch and her breath became even more erratic. Draco clutched her hand as if his life depended on it.

"What…?" Draco couldn't say anything else. Hermione glared at her oldest daughter.

"Oh come off it, as if you two haven't been hiding stuff too? I know that you weren't married when I lived with you." Rose waved her hand, brushing her fake death off.

Hermione gasped, outraged. "That does not excuse THIS!" She almost yelled, making Magdalena look at her questioningly. Hermione smiled at her youngest daughter. "It's fine baby, we're just talking."

Magdalena just shrugged and returned to her dolls.

"You. You tell us everything." Draco snarled.

Rose sighed, apparently not all too thrilled with the less than welcoming committee, that her parents were.

"Fine." She sighed and got up to sit down on a chair in front of them. "I don't remember much. But, I do remember… I remember that man. He made me hurt. And then, one day, he wasn't there any more. A woman came to me, telling me to be quiet. That's all I really remember. I remember wanting to see you, but being told I couldn't. The old lady… The woman, you know? I never knew her name. She kept me under the Imperius-curse. The aurors wouldn't tell you guys that they lost me again, I guess, so they just kept it a secret. I… I lived with this woman for a long time, as her own daughter. She taught me magic, taught me manners and stuff likethat, but she died last year. I thought of her as a nanny, I think. Not ever as a mother, but as a caretaker. She was sweet, but it felt thrilling to have my will back." Rose paused for a while, sighing with content at having her own free will again. "It's been a year since she died. She lived in a small town in Sweden and I didn't…"

Rose didn't finish. She sunk into silence, Hermione and Draco stared at each other. They were both thinking the same thing; everyone but them must have known.

"Who knew? Other than you and the hag." Hermione asked in a small voice. Rose looked at her mother for a while. Draco shifted uncomfortable next to Hermione, anxious for an answer – he had a feeling as to who would have known.

"Well… Granddad was a big believer in corporal punishment, you know."

**A/N: DUMDUMDUUUUUM.**

**As usual, review and stuff. Look for the story "The Hidden Rose" if you want to read the sequel. I can give a few hints about it, and I will!**

**The sequel will mostly be about Rose and her life – her former life at the old lady's house and her new life at Hogwarts. But! It will also revolve around Hermione and Draco's search for answers and of course, why Lucius did what he did; and how, seeing as he was believed to be dead. **

**HOPE YOU'LL LIKE IT. **

**I'll post the next chapter in a week, so start looking for it; I might tell you all it in an authors note on this story when it's up. **

**Until next time!**


	25. new chapter!

GUYSSS I'M SO SORRY, ITS BEEN WAY TOO LONG OH GOD

I've been on vacation, thus making writing way harder to do... Anyway, the new story "The hidden rose" IS UP *yaaayyy* - look for it!

I love you all, and thank you all for reading this story - it would never have been such a pleasure to write if it hadn't been for all of you.

KISSES


End file.
